Beyond Good and Evil
by PinkLady12
Summary: Virgil was always told that family is everything. He had nothing now, but a bleak future of him. It brought no joy to him until that fateful day where everything changed
1. Prologue

Death. He had never given much thought about death in his seventeen years of life. He remembered when his paternal grandmother died but he had been six at the time and didn't really understand the meaning of it at the time. He knew that she was gone and they would never go to visit her in Central City like they had done before.

This time it was different. Way, way different. This time he was losing the person who had been by his side since he was born and never left him, only raised him, took care of him and supported through all of his life. He didn't understand why she had to go. Why the person who he loved the most in this miserable world had to go?

He put the scrambled egg that he had cooked in the plate and poured orange juice for her. He set the tray of food on the counter as he decided to go and look for the newspaper.

It was outside the door alongside with the mail they received for the day. He saw that it was just bills and he put them on the counter. When he averted his attention to the newspaper, he sighed.

Of course, his father had to be on the front page of it talking about the war. She couldn't read the newspaper without seeing his face or his name being mentioned. He decided that it was better not to take the newspaper to his mother.

Picking up the tray, he made his way to his mother's room and when he was there, he knocked on the door. "Come in, Virgil." He heard her tired and soft voice.

When he opened the door, he furrowed his eyebrows at how dark the room was. He let the door open as he walked towards her bed.

"You don't have to make me food, Virgil." She told him as he placed the tray on her nightstand. "I can do it myself."

Virgil shook his head. "The doctor said you need rest." He walked to the window and drew the curtains away from each other. "Better."

"Don't you have school?" She asked him as she tilted her head.

"It's Saturday, mom." He informed her and she let out a sigh. He knew that she hated when she mixed up the days of the week or anything else. "I'll be here with you."

She nodded as she sat up. "Don't you have a date with that girl you have been seeing?"

Virgil found himself blushing as he put the tray on her mother's lap. "Lana and I broke up a few days ago." He told her and she raised an eyebrow. "We had different plans for the future."

"Her plan was to move in Central, wasn't it?" She guessed and he hummed. "Every girl wants to move there which I don't get why because they live in the city. It might not be as big as Central City but South City has its perks."

Virgil sat in the vacant chair in the room and listened to his mother talk.

"I never liked Central City. I hated when we went to visit your grandmother and when your father got promoted to Brigadier General and was sent there, the best thing I did was to end our marriage." She explained to him before sipping the orange juice. "You didn't bring me the newspaper because he was in it? You did good. I don't want to see his smug face."

Virgil knew that his parents had ended up in bad terms and he knew his father with his ambition and his love for career were the reasons to blame. The divorce had made his mother bitter and Virgil resented his father although they did correspond with letters every month. It was mostly because his father gave them money. He probably patted himself on the back when he did that.

Virgil sighed. "Don't talk about him, you don't want your blood pressure to go high."

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "I just get lost in my thoughts every time I think about him. You don't deserve to hear me talking about him especially these last few days."

Virgil froze and goosebumps formed in every part of his body when she reminded the truth. When she reminded him death. "Mom, don't talk about that-"

"I'm dying." She cut him off. "The doctors said that these are my last days and there is nothing we can do."

He was about to say something but bit his lip. He knew that his mother was beyond any help and asking for money from his father would only make her angrier.

They stood silent until she ate her breakfast and when she did, she smiled.

"I hope I die on a sunny day like this." She glanced out of the window and laughed. "You were born in a sunny day of spring, Virgil. I was so scared and sweaty, I felt alone until they put you in my arms and I haven't felt alone ever since."

Virgil's blue eyes watered up with tears and he sniffed. "You're leaving me alone now."

"I'm not." She assured him. "You are seventeen year old, Virgil. You have a whole world waiting for you." His mother bit her lip. "It will hurt but one day, you will move on and find peace. Don't waste your life dwelling on my pain."

He shook his head. "How can you say that? You're my mother and I'm losing you."

"It's normal for me to die before you. That's how it's supposed to be, that's the circle of life." She let him know. "It's better for a parent to die before their child, always."

Virgil's lower lip trembled. "I just-just don't want you to die. I want you here for longer than this."

She smiled up to him. "It isn't much of a choice, Virgil. If it was, I would have stayed to see you old, grey and happy but I don't choose." She whispered to him. "All I can tell you is that everything will be fine."

* * *

"Adrienne Schwartz was a young vibrant woman." The officiant said to the people who had come to the funeral.

Virgil stood in front of everyone and his back faced them all. He was watching the coffin, the coffin that held his mother and a part of him was hoping that she would get out of it any second. Yet the coffin stayed close and the officiant kept talking about his mother and death.

What did he know? He didn't know the woman that had been Adrienne Schwartz and he didn't know anything about death, he was alive. He was speaking nonsense and Virgil had to bite his tongue not to say anything.

"Let's honor the life and the sacrifices that Adrienne has made with a minute of silence."

It had already been quiet but this time it was more quiet. It was a quiet minute that Virgil didn't enjoy as all he could hear was his thoughts and they were telling him to scream and cry. He didn't. He kept his eyes closed for the rest of the service and barely acknowledged the people who came.

Virgil thought he was alone after they buried his mother but the voice behind him proved different.

"Virgil." He frowned at the familiarity of the voice and turned around to see the person who had called him.

His body stilled and his mind stopped working for a few seconds at the sight of his father.

Virgil couldn't ignore what was in front of him and what was in front of him was that him and his father looked alike. His mother had been a blonde woman with greyish eyes while his father had the dark hair and blue eyes that Virgil had to. They had the same face shape with nose, mouth and ears. The only difference was that his father's hair has started to turn grey in some places.

"What are you doing here?" He found himself asking.

His father frowned. "I'm here for Adrienne and for you."

"For me? What do you want with me?" Virgil snapped at him as he shoved his hands in his pocket.

"You turned eighteen last week, didn't you?" He nodded in answer. "I thought it's best for you to come and live with me for awhile. I know it's hard and you need to realize a few-"

Virgil shook his head. "What? What are you talking about?"

His father cleared his throat. "I think it's for the best for you to come and live with me." He repeated. "Bee is excited to meet you-"

Virgil frowned. He had no idea who his father was talking about. "Bee? Who is Bee?"

"Your sister Beatrice." He answered Virgil with a smile. "She's eleven and will be turning twelve in a few months. She really wants to meet you and like I said, it will be better for you to come and live with us."

Virgil felt his blood boiled and he tightened his fists. "Who do you think you are?! Coming here and acting like a smug, pretentious bastard."

"Excuse me?" His father raised his voice.

"Just because you are a big deal in the military doesn't mean you are a big deal in my life." Virgil turned to point a finger to his mother's grave. "You ruined her. You left her for your career and for recognition. No wonder she hated you."

His father straightened his back and sighed. "I'll come and talk to you in a few days when you are feeling better." He was about to turn away from him.

"Listen to me here, Hector." His voice turned cold and distant and his father raised his chin. "I'm not interested to live with you especially with what you did to mom. Sure, you gave us money and I'm pretty sure it was because you had to because of the divorce settlement. You must have felt so proud when you send us patting yourself on the back. Or did you make your subordinates do that for you?"

"Watch your mouth, son." Hector warned him.

Virgil let out a dry laugh. "Did you come here to threaten me or tell me to come with you? Because I would rather die than live with you. You are a bastard who only cares about yourself and I feel bad for people who have to deal with you daily."

"Alright, you have decided to not live with me and your sister. You decided to insult me as well." Hector gulped down. "With that, I have decided to pull you out of my will and stop giving you money."

Virgil's blue eyes widened. "What?"

"You expect me to support you after what you said to me? After you insulted me and showed me how ungrateful you are?" Hector spat at him. "It was your own choice to say those words and act like that and I'm someone who thinks everyone should pay the consequences of their actions."

Virgil stood there speechless and staring at his father.

"I'm sorry for your loss." With that, Hector turned away from him and made his way out of the graveyard.

Virgil stood there before his mother's grave and it dawned to him how he lost everything in his life. In a matter of days, he had nothing and no one. He was all alone.

"You see mum," He muttered under his breath. "it's not been two days since you died and already I hate my life."

He expected an answer but of course, she didn't give it to him. There was no possible way she could give it to him. She was gone.

Virgil walked on foot back home even though it took him almost an hour to arrive in his house. When he stepped on the yard of it, he began to wonder if his father would take the house from him. After all, it belonged to him. He had bought these house nineteen years ago when his parents had married and he still owned it.

Maybe it was time for Virgil to say goodbye to his childhood house as well.

He got the key from his pants and opened the door. He closed it with a slam.

His eyes landed on the living room, the place he had found his mother dead. She had been arranging a few books while sitting on the couch.

Virgil walked inside and looked at the books. What was so important for her to arrange? He started to read their titles and saw that most of them were novels whether from Amestris or the neighbouring countries.

They were all unfamiliar to him as he didn't like reading, he preferred the outdoor activities more than the indoor ones. His brows furrowed when he came up to a book he would never expected his mother to be interested.

She never showed much interest about alchemy. He sighed when he remembered that her father had been a state alchemist years ago.

Virgil sat down on the armchair and started to go through the book. Hours passed and he was so wrapped in it which was odd because he couldn't understand most of the things written there.

It was past midnight when he saw the one thing that could help him during this time.

_Human Transmutation_

* * *

**This is my Fullmetal Alchemist story which I hope you will enjoy. It will be focused at first in my OC, Virgil Schwartz but soon, you will see the characters of Fullmetal Alchemist show up. It also follows the manga/2009 anime, I just wanted to let you all know.**

**Next up, The Greatest Taboo**


	2. The Greatest Taboo

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST (MANGA OR ANIME) BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

Virgil wanted to bang his head on the wall at the writings on the book. He didn't understand most of the things that was written and he blamed his Chemistry teacher in school. He also blamed himself for not listening to it well.

Two weeks had passed since he started this research and he could already feel Hector coming to take the house. It was only a matter of time and he was pretty sure that the war was postponing Hector coming here. He knew that he wasn't in the will anymore and his monthly money hadn't come in the usual date. His father had left him and he needed his mother.

Virgil threw the book away and let out a scream of frustration. Why was it so hard for him to understand?

He shook his head and got up. He still needed to get the ingredients for it.

He got out of his house and he was met with a cool spring breeze but he ignored it as he walked up to the car. At least, Hector couldn't take this from them as his mother had bought it.

Virgil drove to the furthest shop he could find as he didn't want people he knew to see him buy those things. Some might connect the dots and his plans would be ruined.

The clerk gave him a raised eyebrows when he saw what Virgil bought and all he did was shrug. "Experiment in school." He lied and the man didn't say anything else.

He put all he bought in his truck and drove back to his house. He opened the window and let the breeze get to him. He needed to relax because he knew in a few days he would do it. It was a matter of time.

When he parked the car in front of the driveway and got out, he heard a few steps come his way. In every other event, Virgil would have been happy to see his best friend but he wasn't today.

"Hey." Joseph, his best friend since he was ten, greeted him. "You went for a little shopping?" He pointed to the bags he was holding.

Virgil nodded his head as he got all of them. "Yeah." He didn't know what to say next, he couldn't even look Joseph in the eye. "How are you doing?"

Joseph took a step towards him stepping in the light. His best friend was two inches taller than him although he was two months younger. He has dark blonde hair that most of the time looked more brown than blonde and his eyes were dark green. Unlike Virgil who had let a little beard grow on him, Joseph was all shaved.

"I think I should be asking you." Joseph pointed out. "We haven't seen each other since last week and I'm sorry for that but I was busy with my application."

Virgil frowned. "To university?"

His best friend snorted. "Where can I pull all that money? Out of my ass?" He joked yet Virgil didn't find the sense to smile. "We don't have rich dads like you."

"I don't want to talk about him." Virgil retorted and Joseph raised his hands.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said especially with what people are saying about him."

Virgil squinted his eyes and tilted his head. "What are they saying about him?"

"You must not have been reading the papers." He muttered. "They are all insulting him and calling him an overambitious who only cares about himself."

He found himself laughing. "Sounds like him." He walked towards the gate of his house. "See you around, Joseph."

Joseph pressed his lips together. "Sure." He raised eyebrows. "If you want something, come to me and ask for help."

"Where are you living?" Virgil asked.

"Still there, I haven't turned eighteen yet." His best friend pointed. "But not for long."

"Alright. Good night." He opened the gate of his house and entered the garden. He could feel Joseph's eyes on his back but he ignored it as he made his way inside.

When he was on the last step of the staircase that led to the porch, he turned around to see that his friend had walked away. He let out a sigh of relief and opened the door.

He put everything on the coffee table and pulled out the chalk that he had bought. He guessed that the first thing he needed to do was know how to draw the perfect transmutation circle.

That came to hard for him as he had a hard time drawing a circle. How could alchemist do this so fast and perfect? It took him awhile and every time he would make a mistake.

He read back on the book he had gotten and read through the lines.

Virgil understood Equivalent Exchange and he understood the two laws of it. The Law of Conservation Mass and the Law of Natural Providence. He just didn't know how to turn a matter into something else and he blamed his ability of not knowing how to draw a circle for this.

His mother had taught him a lot of things as he grew up. Three lessons had stayed with him the most. Number one was if he didn't have anything nice to say, he shouldn't say it at all. Number two was that life wasn't easy or fair, that people worked for their happy lives. Number three was to never give up and keep on fighting.

That was what Virgil was going to do. He wasn't giving up and he would keep on fighting no matter what.

* * *

His eyes were burning, his head ached, his limbs hurt and his knees were weak but Virgil didn't care. After days of trying, he had drawn the perfect transmutation circle and had gathered all of the ingredients around it.

He was going to bring his mother back. He was going to see her smile again, hear her laugh again and he was going to hug her again.

His mother had died too early. Forty was a young age in his opinion and she should have lived to see him with a job, wife and children. She should have seen him achieve his dreams which were non existent for the moment. They were lost somewhere but he knew they would come back again. They would come back alongside with his mother.

Virgil gulped down and he felt his throat burn. He cussed under his breath and shook his head. He needed water, he was pretty sure he would die for being so dehydrated that he wouldn't be able to do this.

With much difficulty, he rose up from the floor and walked to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water and drank it. After that, he put some water on his face to clear his mind.

Virgil was going to do this and nothing was going to stop him. He didn't care that it was forbidden and considered a taboo among alchemists, it was his mother and he didn't care.

Rules and forbidden laws didn't matter to him when it came to this. What was going to happen? He was only going to get his mother back and he didn't understand how that was such a big deal. It only affected the two of them and no one else.

Virgil entered the living room and his heart stopped at what he saw.

In the middle of the room stood no one else but Joseph himself who was looking at the transmutation circle and the ingredients around it.

There was a silence in the room and he was pretty sure his best friend had heard him come in the room.

"How did you come in?" Virgil asked him.

Joseph turned his head and his green eyes narrowed. "You left the backdoor open." He answered. "What are you trying to do?"

"Just a little experiment." Virgil lied to him and hoped that his best friend would believe him.

"A little experiment?" There was evident disbelief in his best friend's voice. "Why do you need this circle for?" He knelt down on the ground. "And this ingredients? Are you trying to be good at chemistry? You barely passed it."

Virgil tensed and he took a step forward his friend. "I'm bored and I have nothing better to do."

Joseph walked away from the circle and looked out of the window. It was cloudy outside and it was probably going to rain. He found himself needing to do the transmutation as fast as possible.

"Why didn't you knock like a normal person?"

Joseph didn't look at him. "Because you haven't been acting like one."

His body stiffened and his shoulders tensed even more. "Jo, can you be more clear?"

"As soon as I walked in this room, I noticed something off." He confessed. "The circle, the ingredients. At first, I thought it was a ritual and you were trying to talk to your mother or something like that."

His hand raised and he revealed that he had a book in his hands. One of the books that he had found about alchemy around the house.

Virgil thought that he had hidden away all of the books but he had been careless.

"I don't know much about alchemy or at all for that matter but I know that the law forbids bringing someone back from the dead." He turned to face Virgil. "It seemed like they slipped your mind."

"You don't know what you're talking about-"

He cut him off. "Oh, I know." Joseph raised his voice. "I just don't know when you abandoned reason with madness."

Virgil couldn't help but be offended with what his best friend said.

"I lost my mom!" He exclaimed, his voice breaking as he spoke.

"I know!" Joseph snapped at him. "You lost your mom, you grieve her, you remember her almost everyday and you move on. That's how it goes! You don't try to fucking bring her back from the dead!"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Virgil shouted.

Joseph curled his lips in a snarl. "I don't." His voice was lower and he sounded more calm. "I don't think you need to take this big of a risk, Virgil. You don't even know if she will come back."

"She will." He muttered under his breath. "She has to."

"If alchemists could bring people back from the dead, don't you think this will be more practiced?" Joseph pointed out as he took a step towards him. "I know you're grieving and I know it hurts but she wanted you to move on. She told me that herself last time I saw her."

The image of his best friend became blurry from the tears in his eyes. "She's all I had. I want her back."

Joseph put both of his hands on his shoulders. "We both know that doing this will be a big risk, you could lose your life and Mrs. Schwartz wouldn't have wanted that. She would have wanted you to continue your life."

Virgil shook his head. "I can't. I can't do that. I can't."

"What do you mean?" The other man asked. "You had good grades in some subjects and you're smart. You can go to university."

"No, I can't…" His throat burned so much that he couldn't speak the next words. All he could do was stare at the circle and think about what he had planned to do. Was it that foolish and reckless of him to do that?

He felt Joseph pull him into a hug but Virgil couldn't move. All he could think of was that he didn't have a single penny with him and in a few months, he would be living on the streets without anything to eat and without a roof on his head.

* * *

The blue eyes blinked as their vision was becoming clear. It didn't take long for them to take in their surroundings, although they were confused. How did he end up in his room?

Virgil sat up and ran a hand through his face. His head didn't ache and he felt better. He felt physically stronger than he had felt these past few weeks.

He pulled the sheets off his body and got out of the bed. He walked out of the room and went downstairs.

As he descended the last stair, he heard a noise coming from the backdoor and made his way there.

Virgil found Joseph there looking at the sky with a glass of whiskey in his hands. "You're still too young to drink that." He pointed out stealing the glass from Joseph and downing the drink.

"You know drowning your pain with alcohol is better than trying to do what you were trying."

Virgil sat down on a chair near his friend. "It's human transmutation." He let out a sigh. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Let's get one thing straight," Joseph said as he poured whiskey in the glass. "you weren't thinking. I don't know what got to you."

"I don't have anything, I lost everything." Virgil told him as he looked at the backyard of his house. The flowers that his mother had planted had started to die.

Joseph furrowed. "You have money. You can go to the university and become a lawyer or something like that."

He shook his head. "Hector cut me off."

"What?!" His friends exclaimed in shock.

"He came to the funeral and we got into an argument. I was so angry and I guess I took out on him." Virgil winced at the memory. "I hurt his feelings and he cut me off."

Joseph scoffed. "Hurt his feelings? He cut you off because you hurt his feelings? He's a fucking prick and it seems like the newspapers do him right there."

"I was rude to him. Like really rude." Virgil confessed to his friend.

"You are allowed to be rude. You just buried your mother and were feeling many things." Joseph let out a dry laugh. "I think you hurt his ego more than you hurt his feelings."

Virgil sighed before he grabbed the glass and sipped it. "He asked me to come and live with him and my sister-"

"Your sister? You have a sister?" He nodded in answer. "Since when?" Joseph seemed to be taken back by the news.

"Since I was six." He informed his friend. "I didn't tell you about her?" His friend shook his head. "She was one when they divorced and I haven't seen her since."

"What else did he say?" Joseph changed the subject.

Virgil puckered his lips. "Who cares? I don't know why he bothered to come. He only insulted the memory of mom."

"Their divorce was bad, wasn't it?" He didn't answer Joseph. "It always gave me the impression that it was. Adrienne always hated seeing him on the newspapers."

"How could she not? He left her for his career. He wanted the recognition and power so much that he forgot about his own family."

"Fucking asshole." Joseph muttered.

Virgil wrinkled his nose. "He disgusts me." With that, he broke the glass that he was holding in his hands making Joseph jump.

"What the hell?" Joseph cursed. "You must have cut yourself." He walked back in the house. "Please, tell me you have a first aid kit."

"Bathroom."

Joseph came back and pulled the glass out of his hand. "You really do hate him."

Virgil didn't say anything and his friend started to look for any piece of glass in his skin.

"You got lucky you didn't get cut, dumbass." Joseph muttered under his breath. "You need to calm down."

Virgil began to tap his foot against the floor. "I'm so angry, so angry at everything." It was probably because he didn't know what he was going to do with his life, especially since he wasn't planning to do the human transmutation. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"You need to pull yourself together." Joseph told him as he poured alcohol on his hand making him wince. "Don't move." He ordered him and Virgil did his best to stay still. "I know that you had everything and you feel like you don't have anything right now but you need to wake up and realize that life keeps going. You can live life without money as well."

Virgil tilted his head. "What are you going to do?" He wondered. "You mentioned that you applied to somewhere and I know it's not in the university."

"I told you but you must have forgotten." Joseph started to wrap his hand with a bandage. "I applied to the military and I'll probably get in."

"You're going to the military academy?" He questioned his best friend.

He nodded. "I'll have to the Central City academy by the end of August. So, in two months."

"You didn't have trouble with it?" Virgil asked him. "I know you had some trouble with the military police."

Joseph snorted. "That was just me wasting my free time." He stated. "I don't think they even care, they are down in numbers because they killed most Ishvalans in the military and the numbers have gone down. They're desperate."

"Aren't you scared that you'll get to fight in the war?"

"I will be graduating in four years by that time, the war will probably be over." Joseph explained to him. "I don't think they will be sending any cadets to the war zone."

Virgil bit his lip. "You don't have doubts about it?"

"Not now." Joseph answered. "I don't think I have another choice."

He looked down to his hand and pressed his lips together. His best friend was going to join the military and he wouldn't be seeing him in probably four years.

Yet there was something in Virgil's mind that he couldn't shake. The last words that his best friend said to him reminded him of something.

"Not another choice, huh?" Joseph raised an eyebrow at him. "It seems like it makes the two of us."

"What are you talking about?"

Virgil brought his injured hand closer to him and looked up to his friends. "It seems like I'm going to apply to the military academy."

"Excuse me?" Joseph couldn't believe his ears.

"Seems like I'm keeping the Schwartz family legacy of joining the military."

* * *

_**The Last Bullet:**_ Thank you. I hope you enjoy the rest.

_**Next up, Son of Hector**_


	3. Son of Hector

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORYLINES.**_

* * *

"Get up!" A booming voice called as soon as he stepped into the room.

Virgil let out a groan and scratched his eyes as he sat up from the bunk bed. He was on the upper bunk while someone named Jared Klein was in the lower one.

It was five in the morning, the usual time of them getting up and Virgil wasn't used to it yet. He had been in the Eastern Military Academy for a month now and early mornings were still hard for him.

He got dressed quickly and fixed his bed before he went down to the floor. He stood in the same space with Jared and they were one feet away from each other.

The commanding officer was still yelling and shouting to wake up the others as Virgil raised his chin and kept his back straightened. He had to keep his gaze focused and only look straight.

"Are you ready for today?!" The man exclaimed with his booming voice.

"Sir, yes, sir." They all responded in sync.

The officer paced around them as he looked at each one of them. "Out in the courtyard, now."They all shuffled out of their room.

As Virgil was trying to get out, someone pushed him and he hit the doorway. "What the-"

A man with dark brown hair and darker brown eyes narrowed his eyes. "Watch where you're going, Schwartz." He hissed and walked out of the room.

Virgil's lips curled up in a snarl but he decided to ignore the man. He walked outside in the courtyard where other recruits had joined them. Most of his class was formed by men but there were some women as well.

They all formed a formation in the courtyard and started to do their drills. Being in the Eastern area of Amestris meant that it was still sunny for October. They ran, jumped, did push ups and other exercises before they walked inside to the cafeteria to eat.

When he was about to make his way inside, Captain Howitzer stopped him from entering. "Listen to me, boy." He frowned at the tone of the man. "You aren't going to get any special treatment from us because you are a General's son."

"I've been told, sir." Virgil said with a low and firm voice. "I didn't come here to get the special treatment, Captain."

"For what did you come then, Schwartz?" He could hear the disdain and disgust in his superior's voice.

"I came here to serve my country, sir." He responded with no hesitation.

Captain Howitzer stepped away and let him head to the cafeteria for breakfast.

The cafeteria was filled with people whether it was from first year or the last year. It was full and Virgil had to squeeze himself in on one of the tables by the back.

The rest of the people in the table ignored him and he didn't mind. He wasn't friends with anyone in his class or anyone in the academy for that matter. Everyone had turned the cold shoulder at him when they had learned about his relation to the Schwartz name. Some had done because they thought he'd get privilege compared to them while some had done it because of his father's reputation.

Virgil did miss having friends. To be honest, he missed Joseph who had been sent to the Central Military Academy. They wrote letters to each other sometimes but it took two weeks for them to receive it.

He picked up the water bottle that he had gotten and took a long sip. As he put it down, a newspaper was placed right before.

A sigh escaped his lips and he looked up to see a few men who were in the same year with him. "May I help you?" He asked with a slight eyebrow.

"You look awful a lot like him." The biggest one of them pointed out.

Virgil glanced down at the picture of his father. "I like to think that I'm taller and more handsome." He answered as he picked up the bacon and bit it.

"Don't joke." The one with the bald head and big head told him and he raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting to see a person who is a joke make jokes." The one who stood in the middle of the trio spoke and Virgil knew him as the man who pushed him this morning.

He tightened his fist under the table, but tried to keep face blank.

"Are you so caught up on this that you won't let me finish off my breakfast?" He asked as he looked down to his food. "After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

It was in that moment that Virgil felt someone grab him by his shirt and it was no one but the one who pushed him. "Don't act like a smartass with me."

He pushed the man's hand off him before gripping it. "What do you want?" From the corner of his eye, he noticed that everyone in the cafeteria was looking at them.

"I want filth like you and your father to get out of the military." Virgil pushed his hand away making the man fall back a few spaces.

"First of all, don't compare me to my father." He started. "Second of all, I'm staying here and you can't do anything about it. Third of all, find decency in yourselves because your lack of it made me lose my appetite."

With that, Virgil got up from his seat and left the table. He could feel the eyes of many people on his back, they were all trying to figure him out. He wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.

He wasn't going to become friends with them or enjoy their company, he was just going to complete the academy and find a purpose in his life.

* * *

_"The war in Ishval has reached its fourth year anniversary today. The war is still going there and it's spreading around the whole Eastern area of Amestris."_

Virgil ran a hand through his face as he heard the radio in the break room alongside many other people present there.

_"There have been reports that Ishvalans are getting firearms from the neighboring country Aurego who is known for their-"_

He didn't want to hear anymore about the war and what was going there. He knew it was bad, people were dying from both sides and that it seemed like it wasn't planning to stop.

Virgil started to fear the fact that he might end up fighting in Ishval and killing some people there.

Leaving the room was the best decision he made that day. He was tired from all the drills, workout and combat training he had done. Tomorrow, he would be doing all of that but instead combat, he would be trying to shoot some targets.

He got out in the courtyard and took a seat on one of the benches there. It had started to get colder yet it was too hot for October.

The South was hot too, some regions of it were hotter than the East. It was just the air and the humidity of this place made the weather unbearable. There was a part of him that made him think that it wasn't the weather that was unbearable, it was the people.

He squinted his eyes as he looked to the moon. It was a crescent moon that could barely be seen by the many clouds in the sky. It was small and beautiful, somehow it relaxed him and took his mind off the war and the academy.

"Enjoying the view?"

Virgil groaned as he knew it was Abrams, the man who had pledged to bother him rather than pledge his life for the state. "What do you want now?" He turned to look at him. "I can't have any minute without you and your merry little band-" He stopped when he noticed that he didn't have his friends with him. "Where are they? Did they break up with you?"

Abrams furrowed his eyebrows. "You should watch your mouth."

"You should watch your mouth, you should leave the academy, you should bla bla bla…" He could see Abrams turn red from the dim light of the moon. "From the day I got here, you have been saying those words. Aren't you bored of yourself? Your friends seemed to be and I can say that I have been tired for weeks."

"Why did you join the military?"

Because I had nothing, Virgil thought about the true reason. "Because I wanted to." He lied. "Why would tell you? You have made my experience here less pleasant than it already was."

He got up from his seat on the bench. He was about to walk inside but the punch he got on jaw from the side stopped him.

Virgil almost fell but luckily, he regained his composure. He touched his jaw and hissed at the pain. "What is wrong-"

Abrams were lunging at him with his fist raised. Knowing what was the man about to do, Virgil lowered himself and dodged the punch.

He shook his head and he couldn't believe what the other man had done. "You want to fight, Abrams?"

He turned to look at the Virgil and nodded his head.

"Alright, let's fight." Without taking any step, Abrams came to his direction again.

Virgil positioned himself and caught his fist. His hand hurt because of the contact with Abrams' fist and he raised his knee to kick his opponent but Abrams caught it with his hand.

Virgil grunted and without any warning, he headbutted Abrams. The man fell backwards and Virgil spit on the ground.

He didn't stop when he saw Abrams on the floor instead he kicked him on the stomach making the man scream.

Abrams started it and Virgil was going to make sure he finished it. He wanted Abrams to stop bothering him and he was going to give him that message.

"GET UP, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Virgil shouted. "GET UP!"

He pushed himself away from the man and let him get up. After a minute, Abrams got up and he breathed heavily as he did. He was tired and hurt, that didn't mean Virgil was going to stop.

"Come on!" He riled up the man. "Are you done already? I thought you were a military man!"

Abrams screamed and ran towards him. His head hit Virgil on his stomach. He hissed in pain. His hand came to Abrams' shirt and he threw the man away from himself.

He straightened and he bit his lip at the pain. His ribs were probably bruised because of the contact and he didn't know if he could find any longer.

"It seems like you are the one who should leave." He said to Abrams who was still on the ground.

The man sat up and shook his head. "You are dead."

Virgil frowned. "You should stop this. This unreasonable vendetta of yours has to stop."

"Screw you, Schwartz."

He breathed out. "It's Virgil."

Abrams got up and spit blood from his mouth. A pang of guilt hit him at the sight. It didn't last long as he remembered what Abrams had done to him over the months and that he started this fight. After all, Virgil was minding his own business when he came.

"My last name might be Schwartz but do not compare me to Hector." He knelt down to Abrams and gripped his hair. "Understood?"

He nodded and Virgil got up. In that moment, he felt someone hit right behind his neck.

* * *

He blinked a few times as he could feel his eyesight darken. Who had hit him behind his back?

His head spun and he fell to his knees. He could hear someone laughing, but he couldn't recognize the laugh. All he could hear was them ridiculing him before his eyes closed.

Virgil groaned at the pain he felt as he sat up from the bed. He knew he was in the infirmary from the beds and the equipment and he knew why.

"Stand still." A voice told him and he looked to his right to see the nurse.

She was a middle aged woman with red hair, big glasses that made her brown eyes bigger.

"Let me check you up."

He hissed when she touched his stomach and she shook her head. "You boys can be so irresponsible and hot headed." Virgil didn't say anything as she kept talking. "You really hurt the person who you were fighting."

Virgil looked around. Abrams was nowhere to be found. "Where is he, ma'am?"

"He was released this morning to talk to one of the commanding officers." She responded to him. "You're going to go and talk to him as well. You just need to take your medications." She tilted her head. "You should eat before you go too, you're quite pale."

Virgil hummed as he looked down onto his stomach to find it wrapped in bandages. "Where can I take this off?"

The nurse spared a glance at him. "In a week." She answered. "You'll come here and I'll help you with them."

She walked to the cabinet and looked through her stuff while Virgil realized that it was better if he put some clothes on. He found his shirt on the chair nearby and with difficulty, he put it on.

"You'll be taking this everyday. One after you wake up and one before you go to sleep." She told him and arched an eyebrow at him. "Understood?"

Virgil nodded his head. "Understood."

"Now, go to Captain Howitzer's office."

Virgil got out of the bed with a grunt and left the infirmary after telling the woman goodbye.

As he was walking towards the office, he could hear people around him say things about him and mention Hector's name. Why did he have to be included with him wherever he went?

Virgil was his own person and Hector was someone he wished he wouldn't be related to.

When he arrived at the office, he straightened up and knocked on the door of it. "Come in." He heard the gruff voice of the commanding officer and opened the door.

Captain Howitzer was sitting on his chair and he turned it to face him. "You can sit there." He pointed to a chair and Virgil took a seat. "I heard the versions of Abrams and Maverick. How about you tell me yours?"

Virgil cleared his throat. "I-" He swallowed down. "I went outside after being in the break room and Abrams came up to me, sir. He has been bothering me since I stepped in the academy and he was doing that. I was tired by it and wanted to leave. He punched me on the jaw." The Captain looked at the bruise on the jaw. "We started to fight and after awhile, he was on the ground. I was about to leave but I didn't even have time because apparently, Maverick hit me on the behind my back which led me to become unconscious."

"Maverick and Abrams told me a whole different story, Schwartz." The older man pointed out.

"If there is something that tells you what kind of person they are is the fact that Maverick hit me behind my head."

Captain Howitzer stayed silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Do you think the enemy cares about being honorable and just?"

Virgil blinked a few times. "Pardon me, sir?"

"I asked you if you think that the enemy cares about hitting someone on the back? About being honorable and just?" Howitzer repeated again as he got up from the seat. "What do you think?"

"I don't know." He admitted as he leaned down the chair.

Howitzer looked from the window and Virgil noticed that his shoulders dropped. "From someone who has been in the battlefield, I can tell you that no one cares. Wars separates two people and those people are the living and the dead." He turned to look at Virgil, his dark eyes narrowed. "Maverick didn't care if what he did was honorable or just, you were fighting his friend and he came in his defense."

"I'm sorry, sir." Virgil breathed out. "Abrams attacked me and it wasn't battlefield. It was him and I fighting, Maverick just decided to put his nose where it doesn't belong."

"Why do you think they are attacking you? Why do you think that they insult you, Schwartz?" The man asked.

Virgil gulped down. "Because of my name. Because my father is a General in Central City Headquarters." He spat out. "They only care about my name, sir. They don't care about the fact that I'm not like him."

"Have you shown them that?" The Captain asked.

"I've told them many times." Virgil responded.

Captain Howitzer scoffed. "Words are meaningless most of the time, Schwartz. It's our actions that define us, not our words." He reminded Virgil who gave him a brief nod. "If you want to show these people that you aren't like your father, don't act like him."

Virgil's blood boiled and his face turned red. "How come you are saying that I'm like him?"

"Because all you offer are words, not actions just like him." He pressed his lips together and his mind was telling him to scream at his superior. "Also, because like him you only care about yourself and your achievements."

"I'm sorry but you don't-"

"In unity, there is strength and the Amestrian military was build in strength and unity." The Captain continued to say. "If you want to become a good soldier, you need to interact with your peers and you need to think about your whole class as if they are. Military isn't about individuals rising themselves high up in the ranks, military is about lifting each other up."

Virgil shut his mouth and looked at the superior commander. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything at all.

"You can go now, Schwartz." The man told him. "Just remember my words."

* * *

Had Virgil made any progress with the words that Captain Howitzer had said to him? No, not at all.

It wasn't as if he didn't try it. Most people who saw him moved away from him or pretended that they didn't see it. Jared who he shared a bunk bed with ignored his whole existence and that was just plain rude.

Virgil whipped the sweat that had formed on his forehead. While with the other hand, he was holding an ice pack on his neck. It hurt especially with all the target shooting classes they had done today and while he was good at it, he was far from the best. From what he had seen, he was better with combat fighting than anything else.

One good thing that had happened was that Abrams and his gang left him alone, although they still insulted him behind his back.

While the days were too hot, the nights were not. There was a slight breeze in the air at night which he enjoyed. Whenever it was their free time, Virgil got out and just sat there.

All he did was think. His mind was mostly occupied by the thought of war, the people who died, the military, the classes, his mother who he was still grieving, his best friend who he hadn't seen in two months and his father who was following him like a shadow. Maybe one day, Virgil would be able to escape that shadow.

Nearing the benches, he noticed another figure sitting there. It was a woman with short golden blonde hair and bangs that feel to one side of the face. He realized that she was in the same year but they never interacted.

"I'm sorry. Can I sit here?" He asked her.

The blonde looked up at him, inspected him and gave him a nod.

Virgil sat down and held the ice pack closer to his neck. He hated Maverick. He knew one thing that he wasn't a man to be trusted. He would rather die than trust someone like him.

"Are you Virgil Schwartz?" The blonde spoke making him glance at her. He hoped that she wouldn't say something about his father. "The guy who got beaten up?"

Virgil's blue eyes widened and his lips parted. "What?! Beaten up? I didn't get beaten up. Who is saying that?"

"Abrams and Maverick." She responded with a monotone voice.

He shook his head. "They are liars. Both of them are. How can people believe them?"

"The ice pack doesn't prove them wrong." The woman quipped.

Virgil curled his lips in a snarl. "I can't believe them. They've been acting like pieces of shits and now, they're spitting lies about what happened." He shook his head. "They lied to everyone by the way. I was fighting Abrams and after I beat him, Maverick came behind my back and knocked me unconscious."

"Makes sense." She murmured making frown. "You are the best when it comes to combat classes in our class."

Virgil tilted his head. "I'm sorry but what's your name?"

"Riza Hawkeye." She responded and his eyebrows rose up to his hairline.

"The best in sniping and close range shootings." Virgil stated as he put the ice pack away from his neck. "Was one of your parents in the military? It seems to me as if you have been firing guns since you were in your diapers."

Riza shook his head. "No, my father actually disliked it." He noticed her wince at the mention of her father. He couldn't blame her, he winced at the mention of Hector too.

"So, why did you join the military?" He wondered before he realized that he asked a rather personal question. "If you don't mind me asking."

She glanced at him and he noticed that her eyes were brown. "I don't mind." She responded. "Someone inspired me to join the military. You?"

Virgil let out a deep breath. "I was broke."

"Isn't your father a General?" She wondered.

"Well, he doesn't generally care about me." He smiled as he was proud with his response.

Riza stayed silent for a few seconds. "That was one of the worst puns I've ever heard." She deadpanned.

Virgil blinked a few times. "I'm sorry but that was one of my best puns. I think I outdid myself."

"If you outdid yourself, the previous ones must have all been horrible puns."

"I really need this ice pack because of that burn."

Surprisingly, Riza let out a small laugh and he couldn't help but be proud with his achievement.

"See I'm not that bad?"

She looked away from him. "Yeah, but you have a long way to go."

* * *

_**Finally, I'm writing my favorite character in Fullmetal Alchemist. I love Riza so much and I love writing her, she is such an interesting character with a great backstory ;). **_

_**The Last Bullet: **_Thank you. I hope you enjoy the rest.

_**Guest: **_I'm so happy to hear that you enjoy it and here is more of this story.

_**Next up, A Few Good Men**_


	4. A Few Good Men

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

Virgil rubbed his eyes and cracked his neck. As much as he loved combat fighting classes, they were the most tiring ones. His muscles were still getting used with all the activity he did.

First year in the academy was almost over and Virgil was surprised that it was better than he expected. At first, it had been horrible but lately, he had gotten more friends and had bonded a lot with Riza.

The blonde woman was still a mystery to Virgil in a way. She didn't share a lot about herself but he knew the basic. He knew that her mother had died when she was four, that her father had only died a few months ago just like his mother and that she came from a little town in the Easter Area of Amestris. There were other information that Virgil knew about her yet she still didn't know who was the person who inspired her to join the military. His best guess was her father.

He sat down on a table in the cafeteria with her. "It's relaxing to open the newspaper these days." He mused making her look up from her food. "Ah, yes. Amestris will probably go to war with Aurego too, experts say. Such peaceful news."

Riza sighed. "This is how Amestris works for centuries now."

Virgil didn't say anything about it as his eyes landed on the figure of Fuhrer King Bradley. "Do you ever wonder why the Fuhrer wears an eye patch?" She glanced at him. "Was it an accident? Or was it because it looks cool?"

"Who would wear an eye patch just for the looks?" Riza wondered.

Virgil frowned. "Someone who wants to look intimidating, sexy," She tilted her head at him. "awesome and most importantly, a pirate." He shook his head. "I would do everything to become a pirate."

"You sound as if you are eight." She pointed out.

"What? Are you telling me that you never wanted to be a pirate?" Riza shook her head as she cut her steak. "Riza, being a pirate is cool. You just don't look cool like the Fuhrer, you are cool."

She squinted her eyes. "The Fuhrer looks cool, it doesn't mean that he is cool. Someone with such a lame job as being the Fuhrer of a country can't be cool." Virgil pointed out and she focused on her food.

"You know your father is being ridiculed by the military because he insults the Fuhrer and now, you are doing the same in a public space like the cafeteria." Riza spoke without looking up.

Virgil turned his head to see if someone had heard him and he saw a couple of eyes on him. He cleared his throat. "As I was saying Riza, the Fuhrer is a great man." Some of them looked away from him and Riza smiled. "You tricked me, didn't you?" She didn't answer him. "That's not fair. What if I did that to you?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and he gulped down.

"Of course, I know better than to do that." He muttered before he started to eat his food.

"You know what I'm surprised about, Abrams." When Virgil heard the voice of Maverick, he rolled his eyes and rested his head on his hand. "How Schwartz and Hawkeye are still in the military?"

Virgil furrowed his eyebrows and saw that Riza had the same expression on her face. They ignored the two others.

"You are right." Abrams took a seat next to Riza. "They must have broken the fraternization laws a hundred times."

He gripped the fork that he was holding and tried his best not to throw it on Abrams' forehead.

"They probably didn't get in trouble because of his father." Maverick taunted him and Virgil looked up at the man. As soon as he did that, Maverick took a step back.

"If you know what's best for you, you will leave us alone." Riza's voice was low and dangerous, it made Virgil shudder even though he knew she wasn't as cold as she acted up to be.

Adams snorted. "You're threatening me?" He let out a laugh that made Virgil lift his chin up. "Please, don't make me laugh."

Virgil was about to snap at him but he was interrupted by someone else.

"You shouldn't be laughing, you should be taking the threat seriously." Both him and Riza stood straight at the voice of Captain Howitzer who was behind him. "After all, Hawkeye here is ten times the better soldier than you."

Virgil shot Riza a glance who kept her face blank.

"So is Schwartz." Captain Howitzer added and he was sure that he was going to lose his mind. He was sure that his superior liked Maverick and Adams more than he liked him. "You should be apologizing to them for the inappropriate comment you made about them."

Maverick and Adams stared at the man with their mouths opened.

"Don't make me order you to."

"I'm sorry." The two of them apologized to him and Riza.

Captain Howitzer hummed. "It seems like your apologies need as much improvement as your combat skills."

"Sir, yes, sir." Adams and Maverick said in unison before they left. The Captain didn't stay either.

Virgil snorted when they were too far to heat them. "It seems like your apologies need as much improvement as your combat skills." He let out a laugh. "Put that on my grave, please.

Riza shook her head, there was still a hint of smile on her lips.

"Or better yet, put it on theirs." He added. "Because I'm pretty sure he just murdered. I know I wouldn't recover after that."

* * *

Virgil sighed as he flipped through the book he had gotten from the library. He never was much of a reader and he liked it better when his mother used to read to him.

He sighed at the memory of her. He had pushed the thought away so much that it hurt to be reminded of her. He knew he was making a progression. He found himself forgetting sometimes that he wouldn't find his mother waiting for him at home. He forgot that there was a chance that the house was sold.

Virgil groaned and pushed the book away. He laid down and closed his eyes, although, he still had to eat dinner.

"Mail." Someone called and he looked up to see one of the officers holding a few letters. He wondered if Joseph had sent him any letter.

The man began to call some names and when he heard his last name, he almost fell from the bed.

Virgil walked up to the man and took the letter. He smiled when he saw that it was his best friend who had sent him the letter. After all, he had no one but Joseph.

He climbed up his bed and opened the letter.

_Dear Virgil_

_I'm glad that you aren't dealing with those pieces of shits anymore because I was about to come there and help you kick their ass. We have a bunch of assholes like them too because they are nowhere compared to Maverick and Adams._

_It has been going great in the academy to be honest. I have made a shocking discovery about myself. I'm smart._

A laugh escaped Virgil as he read the last words.

_I'm going to let that sink down because I know you don't believe. You always thought I was a moron and I thought the same about you but it seems like I'm the one who was right. Either way, I'm doing good with classes although, I do have to practice more in combat to combat classes and I'm average when it comes to guns._

_The superior commanders here are way more strict than they are in the East. Sometimes, they yell at us because we breathe too heavily if that makes sense. I think being in Central City and close to Fuhrer makes you more stressful and ruder. Things are going like hell in Central City by the way. Some people went to protest about the Civil War and there are rumors that some of them got injured but none are dead. The Ishvalan soldiers are treated like shit around here too._

_Like I said, it's very tense here. The war has been going for five years now and there have been rumors going that they would be sending the best cadets in the battlefield. I don't know if those are true but they have been people whispering. It seems to me as it is a legitimate source with all of it's happening in Ishval._

_I hate to mention this to you because I know how touchy you get about the subject…_

Virgil groaned knowing well what was Joseph was going to say next.

_Your father is very hated. Like very. I don't think they really hate him because of what e has been saying about the military but they hate him more about the fact that he's 44 and a General. It seems like this hate has been going for years because people think he bribed some seniors to achieve what he did. It's a credible theory according to many, the Schwartz family is one of the oldest and richest families in Amestris and he could have easily done that. Your family is what people call old money which was a term I never really knew existed._

Virgil shook his head and let out a laugh at what he was reading.

_Do you think he did it? Because I have a hunch that he didn't but I do think that the age and his position in the military is why people hate him so much. I hate him too but for all different reasons. I know you feel the same about him for your own reasons._

_I hope you're doing well in the academy and I'm glad that you got yourself friends especially Riza. You should tell her that I'm your best friend and there is no competition between us because I already won almost nine years ago. Still, I'm glad that you're making friends. You always sucked at doing that._

He pressed his lips together and nodded. His friend was right. He had never been the person to approach someone, they usually approached him and that happened with Joseph years ago.

_I'm glad that you're doing great in the academy and I hope you continue with that rhythm. I don't know where will be stationed after we're done with the academy but Bill told me that we will be stationed in the same place we finished our academy. So basically, I'll be in Central and you'll be in the East City which totally sucks but we can always ask to be transferred._

_Write to me more often and please, write better. I had a hard time reading your last letter, asshole._

_Joseph_

Virgil put the letter down and thought about what his best friend had written to him.

Could it be that his father bribed his way to such a high rank? He always knew that his father had been smart, eloquent and persuading when it came to his job. He was so highly dedicated that he forgot about his family and left them for the job. He also didn't think that someone like his father would bribe to get to his position. If there was something that Virgil was sure about him was that his father was filled with pride.

His second thought scared him more. It was rumored that cadets were going to be sent to Ishval. Did they really need that many people that they sent cadets? He knew the war was taking a lot of lives whether the lives of Ishvalans or the lives of military officials. It must be way worse than he initially thought if they were going to send cadets there.

If they did and if the war continued like this, he would probably be sent to. He would probably have to kill people of his own country all because the senior staff couldn't make peace with Ishvalans.

Virgil shivered at the thought of him killing. He knew that a part of being in the military was that you had to kill if you were ordered to but your own people who had every reason to rebel in the first place. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

When he heard the familiar shouts of Rebecca Catalina who was in the same year with him in the academy, he thought Riza would be with her as well.

The tall woman who had pulled her long raven hair in a ponytail was shouting at some of their classmates.

"Hey, Rebecca." He called her.

She stopped shouting and turned to look at him with fury in her dark eyes. "What?!"

"Have you seen Riza?" He questioned her.

She huffed. "Yes, she's at the shooting range." The woman turned her head and continued to shout at the man.

Virgil put his hands in his pockets and he made his way to the shooting range. As he walked there, he could hear shots being repeated after a few seconds.

He flinched at every sound of it. He had yet to be used to the noise of a gunshot which was the most unpleasant sound he had ever heard.

He put mufflers on to stop the noise and saw Riza continue to shoot the gun. He glanced at the target and saw that she didn't miss any single shot.

Virgil shook his head and walked towards her. He didn't say any word or made any movement as he didn't want to distract the way, she was holding her gun and the repeated shots gave him an impression that she wasn't in a good mood.

After she was done, he cleared his throat. She put the gun down and took off the mufflers. "Those all hit the target." He stated.

Riza shrugged. "Three didn't before." She informed him. "I got distracted."

"If I was distracted, I wouldn't hit a single one." Virgil muttered. He knew that if he picked up the gun at the moment, he would miss every shot.

"Are you okay?" Riza asked him with a softer voice than usual.

Virgil hummed. "I was about to ask the same."

"You are younger, you go first." She motioned to him and he leaned against the wall.

Virgil crossed his shoulders. "I got a letter from my friend, Joseph. I mentioned him a few times to you." She gave him a nod. "He told me something that I can't shake off."

"About your father?" She queried.

"No, that wasn't what bothered me." He answered. "There have been rumors according to him." Virgil looked at the door to see if someone was around. "They're probably going to send cadets in the battlefield."

Riza's hardened expression faltered at what he said and she gripped herself on the counter. "Are you-you sure?"

"I don't know if it's true but they are a lot of people who have been dying from the military." He explained to her. "The chances are pretty big for them to do that. Joseph said that the best cadets will probably go."

She gulped down knowing that there was a chance that both of them would go in less than two years.

"Maybe by that time, the war will end." He spoke hopefully. It was a big stretch.

Riza raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that it will?"

"No, I don't think so." He muttered under his breath. "Five years have passed and I don't think it's nowhere to be done."

"When it's announced, our training will become harder." She reminded him. "They will make seem like cadets with all of the hard work we're going to have."

Virgil didn't say anything, he offered a shrug and thought of what he would do if he was sent to Ishval. Would he be able to take the life of a child if given the orders?

He saw how tense Riza was and he remembered that there was something bothering her prior to his news.

"What happened to you?"

Riza let out a sigh. She didn't reply to him, she focused her attention to the gun in front of her.

"Riza?" Virgil called her name.

She straightened her back. "I think you are one of the few good men left in this country."

He raised an eyebrow but she didn't see him do so. Virgil found himself wondering if her mood had anything to do with Rebecca shouting at those men. He didn't ask her, he knew she would give him more information if she wanted to talk about it.

"If so," He drawled. "our country has pretty low standards to begin with."

Riza smiled at his joke and shook her head. "I guess so."

He looked at the target that she had hit multiple times and let out a sigh. "My mother once told me to look at the positive side of things." She furrowed her eyebrows at his words. "The positive side of being sent to Ishvalan is that I know that Maverick and Adams won't be sent there. They are horrible at almost everything."

"Really? That's the positive side of this?"

Virgil shook his head. "No, the real positive side is much darker for them and their futures." She gave him a look of disbelief. "What can I say? I have a dark humor."

"I got that from that dead bodies joke and the medical examiner a few weeks ago."

He laughed at the memory of the joke. Riza on the other hand, kept her face blank.

"Rebecca laughed!" He exclaimed.

The blonde woman shook her head. "It's sad that even that joke still leaves you to be one of the few good men."

* * *

_**I get shivers every time I think of the Ishvalan war and what happened. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and tell me what you thought about it. **_

_**Guest: **_I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. We will be learning more and more about Virgil as the chapters by and what he's capable to do. He is such a fun character to write. I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed how I wrote Riza because I wanted to do her justice. You will see it come out time and time during this story.

_**Next up, Break On Through**_


	5. Break On Through

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I OWN MY CHARACTERS**_

* * *

One of the best things about the academy in his second year was the fact that they were able to get out of it during the weekends which led them to go drinking and have fun once in awhile. Forget everything responsibility and the fact that there was a war that was only growing more in the territory.

He ordered a few beers for his friend and he noticed a small brunette woman whose hair fell to her hips. She was wearing a tight black shirt and dark green skirt that was quite short.

Virgil blinked a few times and returned the smile. The girl looked away from him but he saw a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Here are your beers." The barkeeper announced and Virgil got all five of them. He walked away from the brunette and to the table, his friends were.

"Greg, you are so stupid." Rebecca spoke with a matter of fact tone. "It doesn't work that way."

Greg Huron put his hand under his chin and raised his head. "I'm sorry if I'm mistaken. Who is the man between us? Oh, I am unless you have something to whip out."

Virgil put the beers on the table. "I missed a lot."

"What took you so long?" Johnathan Ford asked him. "We almost died of thirst here."

He rolled his eyes. "I was waiting for the beers and I may have been distracted by the pretty brunette by the bar."

While the others looked at her, Rebecca kept her eyes on Greg. "Told you that all men are the same. You all want one thing and that is sex."

"Hey, I didn't say that I wanted to have sex with her." Virgil spoke up. "I only said that I was taken back by her beauty. Either way, you all forgot to thank me for buying this round for you and I'm not buying the others for your information."

Greg scowled. "Come on, Virgil. Your father is a high ranking officer and he probably sends you money every month."

Virgil didn't say anything but offer a shrug and took a gulp of his beer. His blue eyes met Riza's brown eyes. He only gave her a small tilt of his head and she turned the attention to their friends.

Their friends didn't need to know that his father cut him off or that he didn't have any contact with him, it was better for all of them.

"You know men like you, Greg, should be sent to Ishvalan immediately." Rebecca stated making them all gasp while Greg looked at her with narrowed eyes.

Joseph had been right about the military sending cadets because they did. They had sent cadets in Ishval during these past few months. Mostly from fourth year in the academy but they had sent a few third years as well.

Virgil looked back to the girl at the bar and wondered if he should go talk to her. He hadn't been with anyone in a long time and he missed the feeling.

The music changed to an upbeat one making him look away from her and focus on his friends. "How about you stop insulting Greg and dance with me?" Johnathan offered to Rebecca.

She bit her lip and considered the question. "Seems like a better option."

Virgil laughed and Riza let out a small chuckle as the two of them got up to dance.

Greg shook his head. "I'm going to the bathroom." He got up.

Virgil turned to Riza. "I would offer you to dance but we both know that I'm a horrible dancer. It's like I have two left feet."

She snickered and looked behind him. "She's looking at you. The girl at the bar." Riza informed him.

"I don't know if I should go talk to her." He scratched his head. "I know she will fall for me with the first words spoken, it's just I don't know if I'm ready for any relationship right now."

"Why?" She questioned him.

Virgil shrugged. "I don't know, I don't feel like it."

"You won't know without trying." Riza pointed out to him.

"How about you, Miss Hawkeye?" He asked her putting his arms on the table. "You never talk about your life." She rolled her eyes at him. "Is there someone you're hiding?"

Riza's face turned a little red and his eyes widened.

"There is!" He exclaimed. Luckily for him and his life, no one really paid attention to him speaking with such a high voice. "Who is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Virgil huffed. "Don't lie to me." He glanced at Rebecca who was being swayed by Johnathan. "I will tell Rebecca and we both know she will drive you insane with questions."

Riza's eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening me?"

"Fine, don't tell me." He leaned back in his chair. "I'll figure it one day especially when I have more hints."

"Sure, you will." She muttered as she sipped her beer.

Virgil sighed and turned his head to see that the brunette had been staring at him. When she noticed that he was looking back at her, she turned her head.

He bit his cheek wondering if he should go and talk to her. He didn't want a serious relationship at the moment. Yet he still wanted to have that close contact with someone and the girl seemed like the perfect choice.

Virgil turned to Riza. "How do I look?" She was about to answer him. "Don't answer to that. I don't want any words of discouragement." With that, he fixed his shirt, picked up his beer and walked towards the brunette.

Leaning against the bar, he offered her one of the best smile he could muster. From the blush that spread over her face, he knew that it was probably the best.

"Hey, there." He greeted her.

* * *

His blood ran fast, his adrenaline pumped through his body and his heart beat as fast as it could. He spit on the ground before he looked at his opponent was a good fighter, he could admit that. He was bigger and stronger punches that Virgil. He forgot to mention that he was heavier too.

Virgil on the other hand, was faster and more agile than the man he was fighting. When he sent a punch towards him, he dodged it with didn't expect that Jared would punch him in the gut and that made him wince in pain. That didn't last long as without thinking, he hit the other man on the spine.

Jared let out a groan of pain and took a few deep breaths. He was getting tired and Virgil knew that this strategy was going alright.

Taking a few steps back, he was ready for the other punch that Jared was going to give to him soon. In two years of combat training, Virgil had become quite experienced with the facial expressions of his opponent. A quirk of the lips, a raised eyebrow and even flaring their nose was an indication of his opponent's movement. Some thought they were unpredictable but Virgil knew just by their faces that they were trying to be unpredictable.

He could hear the noises of his fellow peers. Some of them were placing bets, others were discussing about the two of them and their skills.

Jared got up. The two of them got into a fighting stance: legs firm, shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and chin tilted up. They began to sidestep in circular motions around each other, both of their eyes were focused on each other.

Virgil was the first one to move and he feigned that he was going for Jared's face. The man ducked the movement quickly. He smirked and rammed his right heel where the foot meets the leg. Jared gasped at the pain and Virgil didn't waste time. He hit his opponent on the jaw with his elbow.

The men fell backwards and Virgil took a few deep breaths as he waited for the man to get up. His heart stopped when he saw that the man was bleeding. He had probably broken or cracked a tooth.

He needed to remember that he wasn't fighting the enemy, he was fighting his peer who looked tired. He knew that Jared didn't have the energy to fight for long.

It was obvious that he needed to end this quickly and that was what he was planning to do.

A minute didn't last and Jared came lunging at him. Virgil barely dodged him but he didn't move away from his opponent. Instead, Virgil wrapped his arm around his neck and secured the man under a chokehold.

Jared tried to move and set free of the chokehold. His grip was too tight for the man, although Virgil was quite impressed with the fact that the man was still fighting to be released and wasn't giving up.

"THREE!" The crowd around them began to chant. "TWO!" Virgil kept his grip tighter than before. "ONE!"

When the countdown was over, Virgil released the man and he fell on the mat.

"Stop." Howitzer ordered and everyone stopped cheering or making any noise. "We're done for the day." With that, the man turned away and he left the place.

Virgil turned to Jared. "You okay there?"

"Yeah, yeah." Jared responded to him. "You are like a panther, you know that? You sneaky bastard."

He laughed at the man's comment before he stepped down from the mat. He put his boots on and walked to where his friends were.

"You don't hit that hard as you could." Johnathan pointed out to him as he got a water bottle.

"That's the point." Virgil muttered before he started to drink the water. In less than a minute, he had finished the bottle and the others raised eyebrows at him. "What? I was thirsty."

Greg sighed. "You hit once hard and you probably broke one tooth of his." He tilted his head. "You did tire him out. How can you tire a big guy like Jared?"

"Pressure points." Virgil responded. "I hit him in some of his pressure points and those tire people out." He explained. "For example, when I hit him in the spine or when I kicked him with my heel between his leg and foot."

Rebecca snorted. "You are a sneaky bastard, aren't you?"

"Funny that's what Jared called me too." He joked as he whipped the sweat. "I'm going to hit the showers and then get some sleep."

Johnathan whistled. "I know for a fact that Jared wasn't the one to tire you out, it was your precious Angela."

Angela was the brunette that he had met in the bar a few weeks ago and they had been going steady since then. He only saw her on weekends but she didn't seem to mind last night had been Sunday, he had gone to her apartment and he had stayed much more than he had thought he would. That didn't go unrecognizable by his friends.

They began to call her name and make fun of him apart from Riza who had a smile and a look of amusement on her face. At least, she had the decency not to make fun of him in front of so many people.

Virgil ignored them as he was about to head to the showers. All was stopped when Captain Howitzer entered the room with a man following him. From his uniform and the stars on his shoulders, Virgil realized that the man was Major General.

They all formed a line and stood straight waiting for one of the men to speak.

"Class, this man here is Major General Raven and he comes from the Central City Command." Captain Howitzer announced to them.

Virgil's heart skipped a beat and he shared a look with Riza. He hoped that the presence of the man didn't mean they were sending them to Ishvalan.

"Hello." The man greeted them. "As the captain said, my name is Major General Raven and I have been sent here from the Fuhrer King Bradley himself to do a little inspection on this part of the military academy." He informed them. "I will be interviewing each one of you and I will be in every class of yours." Johnathan next to him, stilled. "You don't have to worry about this. It's just an annual inspection that the military does for second years."

If it was annual, why weren't any senior staff of the military here last year? Virgil couldn't help, but wonder. He also knew he wouldn't find the answer around here.

* * *

"Maybe they're doing to find out if one of us is Ishvalan." Greg guessed making all of them look at him. "I heard that they don't more to join the military."

He doubted that, it was Ishvalans that wanted to do nothing with the military. Who could blame them? What the military was doing there was inhumane.

The five of them were outside the building and the three of them were sitting with the exception of him and Rebecca.

Rebecca shook her head. "Does anyone in our class have dark skin, white hair and red eyes?" She snapped at him.

"Maybe they have it somewhere in their blood." Greg suggested. "How would I know? I'm only guessing."

"No, you're only showing how stupid you are." Rebecca muttered under her breath before she turned to Virgil. "Did you write to that friend of yours? What was his name? Jackson?"

"Joseph." Virgil corrected her. "I did write but I'm pretty sure that he would be done with us before the letter goes to him." He sighed. "If he had heard about this, he would have told me."

Riza let out a deep breath. "Isn't it obvious what they're going to do?" She wondered. "They want to see which one of us is ready for Ishvalan."

"That's easy to deflect." Johnathan pointed out. "We can't just pretend that we aren't as good as we are."

Virgil frowned. "That wouldn't work." He pointed out. "There are records of our improvement and our skills. Even if they didn't have that, do you think that something skips the eye of Howitzer?" Johnathan dropped his shoulders. "We have to do what we have to do."

They all stayed silent and looked down. He didn't know what the others were worried about. Were they worried about being killed or killing people?

Virgil didn't fear death. He knew that one day his last day would come and he was ready for that. He didn't care if he died in desserts of east Amestris or in a bed when he was eighty. He knew that his day would come soon enough.

It was the fear of killing others that got to him. It overwhelmed all of his senses and kept him awake at nights. There was a chance that he would kill someone, probably someone innocent as he knew that most of Ishvalans hadn't done anything.

Virgil knew his job, his job at the military was more important than anything. He needed to do what his superior officers commanded him with no questions asked. That was what he had been taught in the military.

"Raven is going to break us." Greg muttered. "That was why they brought him here. To separate the weak from the strong."

Johnathan scoffed. "If they were doing that, why didn't they bring someone more intimidating?"

"You're saying that because he looks smaller than most Major Generals you've seen?" Johnathan nodded at Virgil's words. "Riza is the smallest of us and I'm the most terrified of her than anyone here."

Riza snorted while the others nodded in agreement. He ran a hand through his hair messing them up even further.

"What if they kick us out of the military?" Rebecca wondered. "I know that they've done that before."

"It doesn't add up." Riza stated. "People aren't applying in the military academy like they applied before especially with what they did to Ishvalan soldiers a few years ago."

"Hey, guys!" They all turned around to see Ian and Lucy who were in the same class with them. "Howitzer is calling for us."

Virgil frowned. "We're done with classes today. What does he want with us?"

"I have no idea." Lucy answered him and all of them headed inside. They met the rest of their class in the break room where Howitzer was waiting for them.

"There's one thing I wanted to say before dinner." He began to say to them when they were all gathered up. "It concerns tomorrow and the inspection."

Virgil gulped down and kept his back straight.

"I want you to give all of your best." He said as he looked at each one of them. "You will go to your limits and even break past them. I don't care to be honest but you will show what we in the Eastern military academy have taught you and you won't bring us shame. You will all do your best, understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir." They all responded in sync.

Howitzer nodded. "Now, everyone leave." Virgil was about to make his way out of the room. "With the exception of Hawkeye and Schwartz."

He stopped in his tracks and turned his head. Rebecca shot them a look as she left.

Captain Howitzer stayed silent until the door was shut by the last person in the room. He glanced at Riza who kept her head straight and her gaze directed at the man.

"You two are the best students of your class." He admitted to them. Virgil would have found it as a compliment but he knew what he was going to ask them. "That being said is that I expect you to be the best of the best at what you are. From you, Hawkeye, I expect you to show how much of a good sniper you are and how you are an expert at gun-fighting. I don't want you to miss any target in front of you."

"Yes, sir." Riza said.

Howitzer turned to him. "Schwartz, I want you to take down every opponent that comes your way in combat classes." He told Virgil. "What you do with pressure point is smart but I want you to show your strength, quickness and stamina. One question, how do you know about pressure points?"

Virgil was about to open his mouth, he closed it as soon as he remembered where. His father, his father was known in his military academy days for going after pressure points. It had been his signature move.

"Actions say more than words, Schwartz. I need you to remember that." Howitzer told him. "Don't hesitate, go with your gut."

"Yes, sir." He responded.

"Good because you two should know that was an order from me." With that, Howitzer turned his back on them and walked away from the room.

"I don't feel nervous at all now thanks to him." Virgil commented, sarcasm laced in his voice.

* * *

He jumped to avoid the kick that Ian was sending to him. He did that successfully and the other man groaned.

_'Don't hesitate, go with your gut.'_

That was what Virgil did. He went with his gut. He raised his leg and kicked Ian on the nose with all the force he could muster.

Ian fell on the mat with a groan and the cracking noise didn't escape the ear. His opponent put his hand on his nose and hissed. "Fuck."

When he looked up at Virgil, he noticed that he had broken Ian's nose and it was swelling.

"That's enough."

With those words being said by one of their commanding officers, Virgil took a step back and got off the mat. The nurse quickly moved to look at Ian's felt a guilt creep into him but he remembered that he had been under orders. Howitzer had ordered him to go with his gut and that he shouldn't hesitate.

"It's definitely broken." The nurse stated and he squeezed his eyes shut. He liked Ian, he was a decent man but also, the one that could match him with combat training.

He put on his boots and felt the eyes of his classmates. He had fought some of them and he hadn't been merciful. He had gone with his full force and some of them including Ian had been sent to the infirmary.

"Go take a shower and change." Howitzer told him as Virgil passed him. "The Major General wants to talk to you."

Virgil changed his path and headed to the showers. He took a quick shower as he couldn't focus for a longer one. He was nervous about the meeting and what Raven was going to say to him.

After less than twenty minutes, he knocked on the office that Raven was staying. "Come in, Mr. Schwartz." He opened the door and the man looked at him. Virgil saluted the man and he motioned to an empty chair.

"Sit down."

Virgil sat down on the chair and looked at the man. Major General was a middle aged man whose beard and hair were turning grey. He was probably in his end of forties or the beginning of his fifties.

"You are quite skilled in combat training." The man was looking down to what Virgil thought was his file. "You're good with any kind of blade and you are above average when it comes to gun-fighting and sniping."

Virgil nodded. "I'm trying to improve, sir."

"Yes, your superiors mentioned that you had a fierce dedication which is very important in the military right now."

Would his fierce dedication lead to him to killing Ishvalans in a few months?

"You do well in your tests as well, although there is room for improvement."

He nodded. "I'm working on that improvement too."

Raven hummed. "You're also a man of legacy." Virgil kept his face blank as he tried to show how uncomfortable he was. "You're following the same steps that your ancestors did before generations."

"I didn't join to keep the family legacy, I joined to serve my country." Virgil let the man know. He didn't want to think him that he stood by his father.

"Really? You didn't do it because of your father?"

Virgil shook his head. "My parents got divorced when I was seven, sir. I stayed with my mother in South City while my dad went to Central City. I didn't have much contact with him growing up and after I turned eighteen, there hasn't been any form of contact."

"So, your father had no say to this decision of yours?"

"No." He responded. "I guess that he knows that I'm here because the word spread around."

"Good." The man looked at his file. "You need to improve your gun-fighting skills and your grades in some classes." He set his eyes on Virgil. "Some commanding officers said that you had trouble with some of your classmates in the beginning."

"I did. I think it's all settled now and they don't cause me problems anymore." Virgil informed. "Or do I cause them." He added.

Major General nodded. "Glad to hear. Are you a team player?"

"I try to be." He answered. "It's hard at times but it all depends on what kind of people I'm working."

"Would you do everything that your commanding officers ask you to?"

Virgil hesitated. There were so many orders that he didn't want to follow. The orders that would tell him to kill in Ishval, people of his own country who had done no wrong in his eyes. Would Virgil be able to take a life?

He remembered when he decided to join the military. It had been a rash decision of his. He was alone with no future or money, the only choice seemed the military. He had joined the military for its advantages. If he was going to enjoy those, he had to enjoy his disadvantages as well.

The only job of a soldier was to listen to the orders that are given to him by his commanding officers. He shouldn't question them, he should follow them.

"Yes with no questions asked." He answered the man.

Raven smiled in satisfaction. "You're an honest man. We need more like you in the military."

* * *

Weeks had passed since the inspection that they had conducted on one of them and Riza had been right. They were there to see who was ready for battlefield.

It wasn't long after that when their class had been separated in two sections. Him, Riza and Rebecca, alongside with the others were in the section that was going to head to Ishvalan.

They knew that because of the intensive and extensive training that they had to do every day. There were times when Virgil forgot what day of the week was or how many hours he had been training. It was pure exhaustion for their side but as Howitzer told them, they were training to be the best of the best.

To his relief, they still went to the city on weekends, which meant that he saw Johnathan and Greg in the bars. The men were fun to hang out with and they always made them laugh.

One particular Saturday, Virgil felt his whole body ache and his mind run miles for seconds. He didn't care as he was having fun with his friends in the bar. He even danced which had been dangerous for the people around him.

"Virgil!" Someone exclaimed his name and he turned around to see Angela.

A smile reached his lips at the sight of her. He walked up to her and pulled her into a chaste kiss. If they weren't under the public eye, he would have kissed her with more passion.

"I haven't seen you in two weeks." She pointed out to him.

Virgil nodded his head. "Yeah, I've been busy in the military." He answered her. "How about you join us?"

"Alright."

The two of them walked to the table. Because the bar was busy and they had no spare chairs, Angela ended up sitting on his lap.

Rebecca rolled her eyes at his grin and he shot her a wink before turning his attention to his girlfriend. "So, what have you been doing?"

"Preparing myself for exams." She answered him. "The university is driving me crazy."

He hummed. "You're going to do fine, don't worry." He assured her.

"How is your training going?" She asked him. "Well, how is training going for all of you?"

"It's a pain in the ass." Greg responded.

Rebecca scoffed. "You think your training is a pain in your ass? You should do what we do."

"I think Greg would faint in his ten minutes." Virgil teased his friends making others laugh.

His friend stuck his tongue out. "Answer me, Angela. What are you doing with a man like him?"

"You mean the best man out here." Virgil spoke before she could. "I'm amazing and Angela knows it." She tilted her head. "Of course, you are amazing too."

Angela smiled and pressed a small kiss on his cheek.

"Why can't I find a girl like that?" Johnathan wondered.

"Because your personality scares them away." Riza deadpanned and they all burst into laughter at what she said including Angela.

Johnathan pouted. "Why you gotta be so mean?"

"It's honesty, my friend." Virgil spoke making Johnathan glare at him.

"It seems like John and I came here to be attacked with your mean, mean words." Greg pointed out.

Rebecca tilted her head. "My day doesn't go right without saying something to you two and most of the time, you deserve it."

"Oh, really?" Johnathan cleared his throat. "It's time for us to do the same to you three. Rebecca, with your personality, it will be hard to find the man you're desperately looking for." Rebecca curled her lips in a snarl and Virgil heard his girlfriend gasp. "Riza, you're more uptight than Howitzer."

Riza only gave him a shrug while Angela turned to him. "Howitzer? Who is he?"

Virgil didn't get to answer her as Johnathan turned to him. "Virgil, you're so full of yourself sometimes that there is no room for us to breathe sometimes."

Rebecca laughed with that making him narrow his eyes at her.

"Do you feel better now?" Riza wondered.

Johnathan puffed his chest. "Yes."

"Virgil! Virgil!" He turned his head to see Lucy run up to them with a newspaper in her hand.

His face fell at the thought that it was something about Ishvalan and being sent there.

"You won't believe what happened." She breathed out before handing him the paper.

Virgil noticed that it was Central Times and he looked at the front page. Staring at him was an older version of himself or in other words, his father.

_'GENERAL HECTOR SCHWARTZ FIRED FROM THE MILITARY'_

He raised an eyebrow. Curiosity got the best of him and he read the rest of the article.

_General Hector Schwartz has been a member of the senior staff for 12 years now and has been known for his accomplishments and controversies. Reportedly, he has been fired from the military and has lost his prestige high ranking position he had._

_"There has been an animosity between him and the other Generals for years now." A source told us. "Fuhrer Bradley decided to end this by firing General Schwartz."_

_While the news isn't that surprising as Hector Schwartz had been saying an awful lot of things about the military and its leader for years. Sources say that Schwartz didn't agree with how the Ishvalan dispute was handled and was very vocal about it. Also, he was very against the war and the future plans that the military has involving it…._

Virgil stopped reading it there and he frowned. What future plans did the military have for Ishvalan war? Why had his father been so against it?

There was already terror going on in the easternmost territory of Amestris. What were they going to do next?

* * *

_**Can you guess who is this mysterious figure in Riza's life? You know to help Virgil out a little. He's a bit lost. **_

_**TheLastBullet: **_Yes, I've noticed that in some animes, a man and a woman can't be friends without being something romantic. It's all nonsense because they totaly can.

_**Next up, Ready To Kill**_


	6. Ready To Kill

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN VIRGIL AND THE OTHER CHARACTERS I CREATED.**_

* * *

Sweat dripped through his forehead as he pulled his body up. "996." Virgil took a deep breath as he could feel his whole body aching. He had been doing this for too long. The pain and soreness were becoming too much for him.

He let out that breath and pushed his body down. After that, he pulled it up. "997."

He was going to reach one thousand push ups and he still had work out to do. He still needed to jump the rope a few times and needed to push weights.

"998." Virgil muttered under his breath and saw his sweat fall on the mat. He ignored it and went with his other push up. "999."

His lungs burned and his heart felt like it was going to stop. He needed to rest whether it was a minute or a week. He knew that his body needed to rest.

"1000."

The urge to drop himself was big but he knew that a few officers were watching him from the mirror. They watched his every move and if he skipped one, he had to start all over.

Virgil got to his feet and he could barely move them as they were all sore. His legs were shaking and his knees were about to give out. He needed to go through the pain after all, in a few days, he would be going to Ishval.

Grabbing the rope and putting it behind, Virgil wondered how it would be being in the battlefield. A soldier who got injured during the war told him that he would only smell dead people and he wouldn't see blood as the sand soaked it all up. He had told Virgil to leave the military but Virgil needed to do his duty.

He began to jump the rope and took deep breaths with every jump.

More than a year had passed since he started the intensive training and Virgil was a changed man. He wasn't talking about how he had grown taller, broader and he had formed muscles all around his body. He was talking about how he could handle everything as the military pushed him through the limits. They tested him all because they wanted to make him stronger.

He knew that the others weren't been trained like this, he knew that they weren't being pushed to their limits everyday for long hours.

Putting the rope away as he finished his jumps, Virgil moved to the weights. He got two of them and started to move his arms up and down while holding them.

In a few weeks, he would be sent to Ishval and he was going to do his duty. There would be no questions asked, he was going to do everything his superior told him to. It was his job as a soldier of the military of Amestris, it was his job to end this bloodshed and let the war become just a lesson students were taught in their history books.

"You're done for today." He heard a voice and he put down the weights. "You can go along with your day."

Virgil nodded towards the mirror and left the room. He closed the door behind him and headed to the showers.

As soon as the hot water touched his body, he felt his muscles relax which made him let out a sigh. The intensive training left him with such sore muscles and tired body, most of the time when he was done. Virgil couldn't find it in him to even say anything when he hung out with his friends. He could only nod and shake his head when they asked him something or spoke to him.

Today however, he was feeling better than other days and the shower seemed to wash off all the soreness of his muscles. He was glad that he could spend time with his friends rather than head to his bunk bed.

As soon as he finished the shower, dried his hair off and put on some clothes, he headed to the break room where he hoped that some of his friends would be.

He ended up finding only Johnathan who was playing cards by his own. "You know how depressing is to play cards alone?" He teased his friend.

Johnathan didn't look up. "Shut up."

"No, really." Virgil pressed on. "It's like a sign that you will be forever alone."

"I wonder if being an asshole is something you're born with or something you become?"

Virgil put his arms on the table. "Definitely, something you become." He patted his best friend on the shoulder. Well, he tried to pat him but ended up hitting him. Johnathan almost hit his head on the table. "Sorry." He apologized. "Where are the others?"

"Greg went to sleep, Becca and Riza went for a walk a few minutes ago, Lucy is hoping she could find something in the kitchen to eat while Ian… I don't remember where he went." His friend informed him.

Virgil sighed. For the first time in weeks, he wasn't feeling tired and all of his friends weren't around him. He had the worst luck in the world.

"You've been training all day?" Johnathan asked.

He hummed. "Since the morning drill." He cracked his neck.

"Don't you think that they overwork you way too much?" His friend wondered and Virgil gave him a nod. "With how many hours you train and what kind of training you do, there must be something behind this."

"Man, we know what it is." He muttered. "They are beyond denying at this point, they're preparing me for Ishvalan."

Johnathan stared at him and shook his head. "I don't know, I think it's more than that."

Virgil snorted. "Is it your sixth sense?"

"Come on, I was drunk that night." He defended himself. "I had no idea what I was talking about."

"Sure, you didn't." Virgil mumbled as he could feel Johnathan glare at him. "Come on, let's play a game." He pointed to the cards. "I'm bored."

* * *

"You need to relax your body." Riza told him as he held the rifle on his hand and focused his blue eyes on the target. "You'll never hit the target without doing that."

Virgil let out a groan and put the rifle down. "How can I relax when I'm holding a rifle?"

Riza let out a sigh. "Don't think about it, think about your goal. Think about you hitting that target."

"I'm not being sent there to be a sniper." He was laid down on the ground and he put his head on it as well.

"You still need to know how to work with it well." She pointed out to him.

"It's hard when I don't have the hawk's eyes like you do." He looked up to her and saw that she was waiting for him to shoot.

Virgil steadied the rifle with his non firing hand. He kept his grip light and his wrist was kept straight with his fingers curled around the handgun. He put the rifle butt in the pocket of his firing shoulder. He gripped the pistol tighter and pulled the rifle into his shoulders. He adjusted his elbows to be down and in.

He remembered Riza telling him to relax his neck and support his cheek to the stock. After that, he relaxed his body.

His eyes focused on the target and he aligned the sight of the rifle. He shifted his focus a few times between his target and the sight.

A deep breath escaped him as he blinked a few times. He squeezed the trigger and a shot rang through the range as the bullet flew towards the target.

Virgil got up to look if he had shot the target and his eyes widened when he saw that he had hit the bull's eye.

He let out a laugh as he put the rifle down and shook his head. "I can't believe I did it."

"It could be beginner's luck." Riza teased him making him roll his eyes.

"We both know it's not that." She raised an eyebrow and he knew she wanted him to prove that. He got to the position again, he adjusted the rifle and relaxed his body before shooting again. Although, it wasn't another bull's eye, it was pretty close. "See? I finally have gotten good with this. It took me almost three years but I've finally achieved it."

Virgil smiled as he did what his mother told him to do. He didn't give up.

"Why are you so cheeky? It's not like you won an award." Riza deadpanned making him glance at her.

"My mom taught me many important lessons but the ones that stuck with me the most were three." He raised a finger. "The first was if I don't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say at all." He raised another finger. "The second was that life isn't easy or fair, people work for their happiness." He added another finger to the other three. "And the third is that I should never give up."

Riza gave him a small smile. "You miss her?"

"Yes." He answered. "Every day." He took a deep breath as he got up. "Do you miss your dad?"

A shiver ran down Riza's spine as he mentioned her father. He had taken the hints that her and her father weren't as close as he had been with her mother but he definitely didn't know what kind of relationship did they have.

"Some days." She gulped down. "We weren't that close."

Virgil was about to ask her why but they got interrupted by Rebecca. "You two!" She called. "You need to come and hear this."

The two of them shared a look with each other. Virgil put the rifle where it was and both him and Riza followed Rebecca.

The dark haired woman led them to the break room where many people were gathered next to the radio. "What's going on?" Virgil asked. He was shushed by Jared.

"Today during the morning," The radio began to speak. "we got an official military decree considering the Ishvalan war."

Virgil frowned and focused more on what the man said.

"Fuhrer King Bradley has signed and announced a military decree called Presidential Order #3066 or just called Order #3066. The decree says that any Ishvalan soldier in the military would be stripped off their positions and they will be considered traitors of the military. They will be imprisoned or executed for their treachery."

People started to whisper around. Ishvalans hadn't entered the military since the war began and some of them had left it as soon as it started. Virgil knew that there were still Ishvalans who worked for the military.

"Concerning the war that is going in the Eastern Area of Amestris, the decree says that it will stop because State Alchemists are going to be send to Ishvalan."

Virgil's breath caught in his throat and his face turned pale white at what he was hearing. He couldn't believe his ears and his heart started to beat fast.

He felt Riza who was standing beside him, still and he saw that her whole body had frozen.

"State Alchemist alongside with soldiers and snipers have one job to do in the battlefield and that is to exterminate the population in Ishvalan."

It was as if the whole room was spinning. Everyone was talking too fast for him to handle and everything was moving quickly. Most of them were against it, he could hear that. A few surprised him by saying that it was about time they did this.

Virgil ignored each one of them as he held his head and tried to focus on the radio.

"State Alchemists will be heading to Ishval next week alongside with many other soldiers. This action of the military is probably going to make the war stop and end the bloodshed that has captured the country of Amestris."

His blood turned cold and he could feel himself shivering. He was going to the battlefield next week, he was going to kill people next week.

* * *

It was quite late at night and he could feel all the other men snore. Virgil on the other hand, couldn't close his eyes. Every time he did, he pictured Ishvalans getting killed.

He let out a sigh and cursed himself. Why had he thought that joining the military was better than having no money? He could have worked for that and gotten. Fuck, he could have applied for the military police and that would have been fine.

Why wasn't he prepared to be cut off? He had been eighteen, he should have thought of that. His father had screwed him up, Virgil had only made it worse for himself.

His brain was questioning why he joined the military. Was it because he needed to be closer with his best friend when he had no one? That had taken a turn for the worse as Joseph had been shipped in Central while he ended being stuck in the East. Also, he hadn't talked to his friend in months for extensive months.

Was it because he had no choice? He didn't have that many choices that he has before. Still, Virgil could have done something else, he chose the easiest path.

Was it because he thought that the military would distract him from his loss? It definitely had. His friends had made him forget the pain and the grief he left. To be honest, the best part of the military was the friends he had made during the years. He knew that many of his best memories were with his friends during the weekends.

Virgil had no idea why he had joined the military. He only knew that he was a soldier and he was going to do his duty. He wasn't going to feel bad for himself, he was going to feel bad for the horrifying things that was going to happen to Ishvalans.

He squeezed his eyes shut and wished that he would fall asleep. He didn't and he decided that he needed to wash his face.

As he got up from his bunk bed, he watched his classmates who were all sleeping comfortably with no worries in the world. Out of his room, he was the only that was going to the battlefield. They were all going to continue the academy and there was a chance that Virgil would die before he saw them again.

He shook his head and walked out of the room to find the bathroom.

When he was close to the bathroom, he heard a few steps coming his way. He frowned when he heard a man cursing and grumbling under his breath.

The voice was familiar and that was why Virgil stayed glued to the floor waiting to see who it was. His eyes widened when the man came face to face with him.

"Captain Howitzer." He saluted the man who was holding a duffel bag.

The man shook his head. "Not anymore, Cadet Schwartz."

Virgil raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I quit my job." He responded. Virgil for a moment, thought he hadn't heard the captain right. It couldn't be that.

"Why?" He found himself asking the man.

Howitzer let out a laugh. "This is something I should have done a long time ago but it was the sense of the duty I had."

"What happened to the sense of duty now?" He asked the man.

"It's gone with the faith and hope that I had for this country." He responded. "It was about time that I opened my eyes and saw the real truth behind this place."

Virgil thought that the man's words were ominous and gave him some kind of fear inside him. He ignored the feeling and nodded.

"It was good to be taught by you, sir."

Howitzer scoffed. "When it was good? When I made you push through your limits? You could have been physically and mentally injured for what we did to you, Schwartz."

"It didn't." He pointed out.

"Luckily for you, it didn't." Howitzer murmured under his breath. "It was good to teach you, Schwartz. Good luck on the battlefield."

With that, Howitzer walked passed him and Virgil glanced at him. He couldn't believe that the man who had taught almost everything in the military academy including what was a soldier's job, was leaving the military.

The decree made men as dutiful and proud as Captain Howitzer to leave and he wondered how many others would follow.

When the man turned the corner, Virgil sighed and walked in the bathroom. He walked towards the sink and splashed water on his face.

He looked at himself in the mirror. He remembered how he had looked when he had come in the military. Young, idealistic and filled with grief. He wasn't that person anymore, he had changed.

As he left the bathroom he wondered how much he would change after the war if he survived.

* * *

From the corner of his eye, he could see that the others were shaking, sweating or cursing under their breath as they waited for the train.

Virgil on the other hand, wasn't shaking, sweating and he didn't feel like cursing either. Riza who was sitting next to him, was silent and still as well.

"Did they tell you what are you going to do?" He asked her.

Riza exhaled. "I'm a sniper, Virgil. My only job is to kill any Ishvalan that catches my eye."

He gulped down and shook his head. His eyes landed on the people who were moving around the train station, some were boarding up the trains and some were boarding down. Some were big families while some were individuals.

There were so many personalities in a train station with different stories to hear. Some stories were happy, some were sad, others were tragic and some even funny. He wondered how his life story was going to be. How would Virgil Schwartz be remembered to people who knew him? What kind of an ending his story was going to have?

"Virgil, Virgil." He heard Riza call his name and he turned to look at her. "You were lost there a little, you know that?"

He nodded his head. "I was just thinking." Riza was about to say something. "Yes, despite contrary belief, I do think."

She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to say that." She told him. "I asked you before when you were in your own world, under whose command are you going to be?"

"No. I thought that they will tell us that when we arrive." He tilted his head and squinted his eyes. "They told you?"

"They told everyone." Riza stated. "Everyone but you."

His eyes landed on Major Wright and he got up from his seat. He walked towards the man. "I'm sorry, sir?"

Major Weight turned to face him. "Yes, Cadet Schwartz?"

"My fellow classmates have all been put under the command of a superior office while I haven't." He explained to the man. "I thought there was a mistake, sir-"

"The military does not make mistakes." The Major said to him, his voice stern. "We haven't decided who you are going to serve yet, we will when we arrive at our destination." He eyed Virgil. "You should start to learn that you shouldn't question your superiors."

Virgil gulped down. "Yes, sir." When the Major turned his back on him, Virgil mimicked him before he stuck out his tongue at the man.

It didn't take long for him to make his way to Riza who was shaking her head. "I can't believe you did that. You could have been caught."

"Who cares?" He shrugged. "These people keep screwing with me as I'm their puppet." He curled his lips together. "It's definitely suspecting with all the training I got and with this, it's like they're testing me."

"What do you think they are doing this?"

Virgil crossed his arms. "Because of my last name." He scoffed. "I wish I could change it."

"It has its perks." She pointed out and he raised an eyebrow. "It's a family name which has lasted for centuries, you said it yourself."

"At least, I will be making a name of my own in Ishval." He muttered. "No matter how they know me, I will be known for my actions."

"Everyone board the train." One of their commanding officers announced. He picked up his bag and Riza did the same with hers.

The two of them entered one of the cars of the train. They took their seats and he let out a sigh. By tomorrow, Virgil would be in Ishval and maybe by the afternoon, he would kill someone or die.

His body shuddered at the fact and he took a deep breath. The sun was rising in the east and he knew that they would be following the direction of the sunrise.

While the east produced nothing but lightness and sunny weather, Virgil knew that him and the rest of the military would take that from the Ishvalan. They were going to make darkness and bloodshed define the place.

He looked at Riza who was talking to Rebecca and he cast his eyes down to his hands. As he looked at them, Virgil wondered if he was ready to kill.

* * *

_**We're finally going to Ishval next chapter and it's going to be quite an experience for Virgil and the other characters. After all, it's a war of extermination.**_

_**Guest: **_It could be, it could be not. You will see.

_**TheLastBullet: **_You'll see who the musterious figure is ;).

**_Next up, Sandburn_**


	7. Sandburn

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THE STORYLINE.**_

* * *

The temperatures were high, the sun was shining bright and the soldiers were making their way to the base. The wind was blowing around them and the sand was rising with it, each one of them had a light scarf wrapped around them and a coat with a hoodie on. No one wanted to burn their skin and no one wanted to have sand on a part of their body.

They walked slow as they made their way. The heat, the exhaustion and the sand was getting to them, although none of the soldiers would ever admit.

His blue eyes inspected the desert and he wondered how could Ishvalans stand it. It was insufferable to him and he knew all of his peers felt the same.

"How far do you think it is?" He asked Riza as they were walking side by side with one another. The blonde wiped the sweat that had formed on her shoulder before giving him a shrug. "I hope it's not far because I'm pretty sure I'm going to die of thirst."

Riza cleared her throat. "Makes the two of us."

Virgil looked at the blue sky and it was odd to see no clouds in the sky. Most of the time, they were very present but it seemed like around the desert, they weren't. The only thing he could see was the sun who was shining so bright that he was sure it could blind them.

"Dying because of thirst when we're about to go and risk our lives in a battlefield, it's quite ironic." Virgil muttered to himself, although he knew Riza was listening to him as well. "I hate to be remembered as that guy."

Riza huffed at him. "Are you really concerned about that?"

"Right now, yes." He answered her. "It might change when we arrive to Ishval." He looked at their road. "Which seems to be too far away."

"No way, I can see Ishval right there." One of the men behind them said and he pointed out to a whole other direction.

Virgil turned to look at it and saw that there was nothing. He frowned and glanced at the man. "Are you alright? There's nothing there."

Yes, there is." He insisted.

Riza shook her head. "He has become delirious because of the heat." She informed him and he turned to her. "He's imagining things that aren't there."

Virgil whistled. "Thank God, I'm not the one to have that." He turned his head forward. "I don't even know what I will imagine- No, I'll imagine water." He let out a groan. "I need water. Cold water."

"Can you not mention it?" Riza muttered. "I don't want to think about water."

He grinned. "You know when I was little, my mother used to take me to Dublith and we would swim in the big lake there for hours." He hummed. "Oh, how much I miss the water of it? It calms you down with its refreshness and it's cool temperature."

"I'm going to shoot you." She warned him and he began to laugh.

"I'm only joking, Riza." He looked down to his boots who had a little bit of sand in them. They fell into silence after that and Virgil let out a deep breath.

He looked at the people surrounding them, everyone looked just as bad as he felt and it seemed like they all wanted to arrive in Ishvalan.

They knew that most State Alchemist had arrived in the place and there were only other soldiers left. He wondered if they had started using their alchemy on killing Ishvalans or they were waiting for them. He doubted that, the military wanted this war to end as soon as they could. After all, two other border wars were going on with Aurego and Creta. The state of Amestris was doing one job and that was killing people whether they were foreign or their own.

Virgil didn't understand politics and he didn't want to understand them. Maybe if he did, he would understand why so many wars were happening. He didn't see the point of it from little that he knew.

Time passed and the sun was about to set in the west. They faced it with their backs as they kept going towards the east, towards Ishvalan.

As they were climbing up a hill, Virgil caught sniff of something. He sniffed a few times before he turned to Riza. "Can you smell that?" He asked her earning a nod from her. "It smells like something got burned."

She didn't answer him as they kept going to the top of the hill. People kept murmuring about the smell as it became stronger with every step they took.

It started to become so strong that Virgil was sure he was going to be sick. He had never smelt anything worse than this. What the hell was that burned spell?

His question got answered when all of them climbed the top of the hill and looked to the far distance in front of them.

There was a city which had its buildings ruined, the roofs shattered and the streets on fire. It looked like chaos had erupted there. Correction, chaos was still erupting, he was sure of that. It might be the heat but Virgil as sure he could hear faint screams from the distance even though it was too far away.

When his nose caught a sniff of the air again, he put the scarf closer to his mouth. He knew that it was the smell of burning. Buildings, woods or anything didn't smell like this, he knew that.

Virgil's lips dropped when he realized what was burning. People, people were burning from Ishval. State Alchemists were doing this. Soon, they would be joining them as well.

"What is this smell?" Someone asked him from behind.

He looked down to the sand and took a deep breath. "Burned people. The smell is people being burned to death."

A few left gasps as they would never have figured it out if Virgil hadn't told them, others stayed silent as they had known alongside with him or before. His eyes fleeted to Riza who was looking the opposite away, away from the city.

"Stop with the chit chat." Their commanding officer told them making them all flinch. "We have to make our way there before night." He led them down the hill and Virgil wished that he would lose his ability to smell.

* * *

Walking to the camp made one thing obvious to Virgil and that was that as much as power, number and alchemy, they were still people who got injured and people who died.

Everyone was too busy cleaning their guns, eating their food, drinking water or dealing with injuries that no one really paid attention to them.

"Major Wright." A man called his commanding officer and Virgil knew who the man was. It was Brigadier General Hakuro who served in Eastern Headquarters of the military. He had come to watch a few of their classes. "Is this all your team?" He asked, his grey eyes studying each one of them before landing on Virgil.

He didn't move his gaze away. He stared right back at the officer before Hakuro looked away. "We are all here and we need to be all send to our tents before we can do everything."

"Ah, yes." Hakuro mused. "The heat can get tiring when you walk miles. I wouldn't know as I was brought here by a carriage."

Virgil scoffed and glanced at Riza who was narrowing her eyes at the General. "Of course, sir. Are you going to lead us there?" Hakuro shook his head and whistled for others to come.

Noticing the distraction, Virgil leaned in close to Riza. "How did this man become Brigadier General? Whose dick did he suck?" He whispered to his friends who chuckled. Rebecca who had heard as well, had to put her hand over her mouth to stop laughing.

When Wright and Hakuro glanced towards her, she covered up the laugh by making it sound like a cough.

"She got a little bit of sand in her throat." Virgil made an excuse for his friend. The two of them began to talk again and he let out a sigh of relief. "I saved your ass there, Becca."

Rebecca kicked him behind the knee. "You made me laugh, you idiot."

He winced at the pain and glared at his friend. "You could have not laughed like Riza here."

"Come on, team." Major Wright spoke to them. "They are taking us to our tents."

Virgil was separated with his two friends as the women were stationed away from the man. He put his hands in his pockets as he looked around. He tried to see if he could see any State Alchemist around, he doubted that he would because they didn't just show their silver pocket watch to everybody in sight.

The stench of the burned bodies still lingered, more than before but he had adjusted to the smell, although there were times where he got reminded that it was still there. Which alchemist had done this? Or were there a lot of them who could burn people?

"A lot of injured." He commented as he looked at a man who was getting his leg treated.

"With most of them, it's the sandburn." The man who was leading them to their tents spoke. "They aren't used to this much sand."

Virgil hummed. He didn't say anything, he only hoped that he would arrive to his tent as soon as they could. To his unfortunate luck, he was the last one to be taken to his tent. "Here, it is." The man told him. "You are with some cadets from Central and North."

He nodded. He couldn't believe he had been separated from his classmates and he had been the one to end up in the tent with strangers. He opened the flap and was surprised to find the tent empty.

Most of the cots were all taken expect one in the corner. He made his way there and put his bag there. The floor was covered in sand and he was sure that the cots had sand as well. He was lucky to not have any, although it seemed like he would as well. Sand getting in your clothes, hair or body was inevitable especially with the wind.

Virgil sat down and laid down on the cot. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do anything before he was put under someone's command. He hoped that he would be doing something instead of sitting and smelling people dying.

The flap of the tent opened and he looked up. Two strangers came in the room. "We got new meat here."

"Jay, we are new meat as well. We came two days ago." The accent of the last man was foreign to him and he guessed that he was from the North. He had dark auburn hair and dark green eyes, his face was all red and Virgil guessed that his face wasn't used to such a hot sun. "My name is Louis Ridge." He introduced himself. "This is Jay Sparrow."

Jay Sparrow was a tall black man with short black curly hair and brown eyes. He had his eyes narrowed at Virgil and his head tilted. "You look like a familiar face."

Virgil gulped down. "My name is Virgil. Virgil Schwartz." He informed the two of them.

"I've heard that name before." Jay pointed to him. "Virgil Schwartz, where did I hear that name?"

"My father is Hector Schwartz, the General-" The words died on him as someone else entered the tent.

Although, he was looking down and had changed a lot in his appearance, Virgil's eyes weren't deceiving him. Before him with a green apple in his hand stood Joseph Hummel, his childhood best friend.

"The military is supposed to make you taller, not shorter." He spoke, a grin on his face.

Joseph stopped in his tracks. His head tilted up and his green eyes widened. "It's not my fault you got so big and tall." He let out a laugh as he neared Virgil and the two of them hugged.

He hadn't realized how much he missed his best friend and having him around. He was glad that he had been separated by his classmates because Joseph's presence was better.

When he pulled away from him, Joseph studied him. "What happened to you? How come you look so buff? Did they take you to fight bears?"

"It's a long story." Virgil stated as he took a step back.

"We got time, you don't have to worry about that." His friend assured him.

* * *

"That must be violating human rights." Joseph muttered. "They kept us busy too, but not like you, man. Did you ask them about it?" They were walking around camp as he was trying to find Riza and Rebecca.

"Do you think they'll answer me?" Virgil asked his friend who hummed. "It doesn't matter, I'm strong now and ready for the battlefield."

Joseph frowned. "And you haven't been assigned to anyone?" He asked and Virgil shook his head. "That is odd. They told me in Central that I'll be serving First Lieutenant Maes Hughes. He's rather an odd man but very smart and funny."

"How long have you been here?" Virgil wondered as he could see that Joseph was adopted with everything involving the camp.

"A week ago." Joseph responded before shrugging. "It was hectic on the first days but you get used to it. We have to worry more about the battlefield."

Virgil's heart skipped. "Have you been there?"

Joseph nodded before sighing. "A few times." His Adam's apple bobbed. "You should see the streets. They're all filled with dead bodies."

"You're responsible for those dead bodies?" Virgil wondered, he wanted to know how it was to kill and he knew Joseph would be honest.

"No." He muttered. "Not yet. I only had to find them until now."

His friend got lucky not to kill but how long would that last. They were supposed to kill or be killed, they had no other choice.

Virgil's eyes caught sight on both Riza and Rebecca who were sitting outside and looking at the night sky. He motioned to them with his head and Joseph followed behind them. "Hey." He greeted them.

The two of them looked up and Rebecca was about to say something but her lips sealed shut when she saw Joseph.

"I want you to meet someone." He pointed to his best friend. "Joseph, these are Riza and Rebecca." Joseph took a step forward and shook the women's hands. "Riza and Rebecca, this is Joseph."

"It's good to finally put faces to people." Joseph gave them a small smile. "Virgil mentioned us a lot."

"I'm glad he did." Rebecca murmured making Riza turn to look at her while Virgil raised an eyebrow. "So, you're in Central academy?"

Joseph nodded. "Yes, I've been here for a week now."

"How is it here?" Riza asked him.

"The smell tells it all." He answered as he looked at her. Riza nodded and looked away. "The smell is all because of one man." Virgil turned to his best friend. "The Flame Alchemist, they call him. He just snaps his fingers and fire appears out of nowhere."

"One man has done this?" Rebecca asked as Riza crossed her arms.

"Yes, one man." He answered. "But the others are doing as much damage as they can. There is one alchemist called Solf J. Kimblee. He is called the Crimson Alchemist and he fits his name."

Virgil furrowed his eyebrows. "You have a lot of information."

"A little knowledge never hurt anybody." Joseph pointed out. "Plus, I'm impressing my superiors, so it only works for me."

"What happened to you?" Virgil snorted. "You used to hate authoritative figures, always causing problems for them."

He let out a chuckle. "I learned that you need to get through them to achieve something in the military." Joseph responded. "Plus, it's quite enjoyable being your guide."

"How about our guide sees when the food is ready?" Virgil touched his stomach. "I'm hungry."

Joseph rolled his eyes. "Only for you, Virgil." He walked away from them.

When Joseph was out of earshot, Rebecca swatted him and Riza let out a soft chuckle. "Why didn't you never mention that he is gorgeous?" She spat at him. "Did you see his eyes? I have never seen eyes so green."

"Was I supposed to go on full monologue about how he looks?" He rubbed his arm.

"He definitely is resourceful." Riza commented under her breath. "He knew a lot and I bet he even knows more."

Virgil shrugged. "He has always been like that." He didn't find it as interesting as the two women did, he always got information from Joseph since they became friends. "Do you want to hook you up?" He turned to Rebecca. "It will keep me busy after I'm done with my daily duty."

Rebecca bit her lip. "He's handsome. What about his family?"

Virgil froze at the mention of that and he stayed silent. Is throat went dry and he couldn't say anything about that. It wasn't his story to tell.

"Rebecca, he's trying to set up a date." Riza averted their friend's attention. "He's not planning to marry the two off. Plus, don't you have other priorities?"

Their friend pouted. "You are no fun."

Virgil laughed as he found himself relaxing his shoulders. He saw Joseph make his way towards them. "According to the cook, dinner won't be ready until nine." Virgil groaned. "Don't worry, minutes pass by here without you noticing them." Joseph assured him. "One minute, the sun is setting and the next, everyone is heading to do their duty."

* * *

When a horn blazed all through the camp, Virgil jumped from his cot and looked around. His heart started to beat fast and his hands began to shake. He moved his hand to where his gun was when a voice stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Joseph asked as he stretched his arms. "One horn just tells us to wake up." He explained to Virgil. "You have to worry about hearing two horns or on worst case scenario, three horns."

Virgil squinted his eyes. "What do they mean?"

Louis yawned before he spoke. "Two horns means that they are Ishvalans next to the camp or some are trying to escape while three means we're under attack."

"Only a fool would come in this camp with State Alchemists here." Jay muttered as he started to get dressed.

Virgil did the same and soon, they were out of the tent. He stood outside looking around while the others started to head their ways.

"Hopefully, I'll see you after noon today." Joseph said as he moved to the right. He saluted Virgil and walked away to the left.

He had no idea where to go or what to do. He could only stand there.

"Cadet Schwartz." He followed the call and saw Major Wright a few feet away. He rushed to the commanding officer. "You see that building?" He pointed. "You go there and tell them that Fuhrer Bradley called for you."

Virgil blinked a few times and his jaw fell. "Fuhrer-Fuhrer Bradley? What does he want with me?"

"Stop asking questions and go there." The man ordered him.

"Yes, sir." He turned his heel and walked straight to the building that was in the end of the camp. He had no idea what it used to be before the military took it but there was no doubt that they had it with all the guards and the big Amestrian flag.

"Name?" One of the guards asked him.

Virgil stood straight and he kept his vision focused. "Cadet Virgil Schwartz, I'm here because Fuhrer Bradley called for me."

They stepped away from the door and Virgil entered in. He asked another solider about the whereabouts of the Fuhrer's office and he directed him.

Virgil unbuttoned a button of his shirt underneath the jacket and took deep breaths as he neared the office. When he came face to face with the door, he knocked.

"Come in."

The rough voice behind the door spoke and he opened the door.

Fuhrer King Bradley, a man known for his skill with the sword and his leadership skills, was sitting right in front of him with a cup of tea placed on his table. His eyes were black as coal, one of his eyes was a light blue while the other was covered with an eyepatch. He looked older in person compared to the photographs, he also looked deadlier in person as well.

A shiver ran down from his back as he stood straight and saluted the man. "Cadet Virgil Schwartz, sir."

"I figured." Bradley spoke. "You look a lot like your father." He pointed out. "Do you want some tea?"

Virgil shook his head. "No, thank you, sir." He answered.

"Sit down." Virgil did as he was told and tried to calm himself. He was brought here to talk to the Fuhrer, not be killed by him. "Do you know why I called for you?"

"Because of my last name and my relation to Hector Schwartz." Virgil answered him trying to act as cool and calm as he could.

"Your family has played a part in the military and Amestris since when it was founded." Bradley began to say. "They have proved to be loyal and dutiful to their country until your father." He gave the man a nod. "He caused us a lot of problems in Central."

"I've heard." Virgil mumbled as he could feel himself sweat.

"He's not our problem anymore." Bradley reminded him. "We don't want to have another problem, that's why I wanted to talk to you."

Virgil raised his chin. "I won't be a problem, sir."

"Yes, the officers in the East have told me that you are very dutiful and focused. You don't give up." Bradley continued. "Your father was like that in the start of his career, it was that moved him in Central to begin with." The man raised his cup as he studied Virgil. He couldn't help but feel that the Fuhrer was looking at him with both of his eyes. "I wonder where do your loyalties lie on."

Virgil didn't say anything as he felt like the man had yet to talk.

"Your father's lied on himself." He informed Virgil about something he already knew. "How about you?"

He cleared his throat. "My loyalties are simple, sir. I joined the military for a reason and that was to serve my country. My loyalties lie on the people of Amestris, on the military, my peers my commanding officers, you and the state. They don't lie on my father, my family name or myself, I can assure you that."

"Good." The Fuhrer declared. Virgil blinked at how easy it had been convincing the most powerful man in the state. Maybe his commanding officers said a few good things about me. "Another reason why you're here is to put you under the command of an officer."

Virgil nodded. He could only hope that he had the same luck that Joseph did.

"I have decided that you will be serving under the command of Major Solf J. Kimblee." He frowned as he found the name familiar. "He is the Crimson Alchemist."

He remembered Joseph telling him that this State Alchemist fitted the name that he had. What did he mean by that? Why hadn't he asked Joseph about it?

"You will be under his command from tomorrow morning. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." He answered.

Fuhrer Bradley smiled at him taking off his guard. "You can go now, Cadet Schwartz."

* * *

_**It was so interesting having Fuhrer Bradley here. Although I hate him, I do love his character. Soon enough, more characters will show up kile Kimblee, Hughes and Roy. **_

_**Hazel Fontaine: **_Thank you for pointing out this to me. I don't know why I didn't notice it, but I tried my best to correct my mistakes. I hope I didn't let any of them slip past me. Again, thank for telling me and I hope you enjoy the story.


	8. A Bloody Smile

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

Virgil wiped the sweat that had been formed on his face with a cloth that he had gotten for himself. He was looking for the Lotus Crimson Alchemist called Zolf J. Kimblee and his team. A team that he was going to be as soon as he found the man.

All he had heard about the man from Joseph had been disturbing. Apparently, he fit the infamous name that was given to him as an alchemist. He couldn't help but think it was an exaggeration to the name. From his years in the military academy, Virgil had noticed that they tend to make some rumors bigger than they are.

So, he headed to the camp with his own mindset. He didn't want to weigh in his judgement based on rumors and what other people said. He wasn't going to make assumptions, he was going to watch, observe and make a judgement of his own.

He sniffed the air as he approached the place where his team was supposed to be. It seemed like the smell of burning flesh and rotten corpses was becoming worse day by day. It was a stench that Virgil could never get out of his mind, not even if he had smelled hundreds of roses.

Virgil heard some rushed steps coming at him and without hesitation, he raised his gun to point at the people. His initial thought was that they were Ishvalans and he knew it was his job to kill them. No thinking about it, no questioning himself, just shoot.

It turned out to be that they weren't Ishvalans, but military officials who were both holding guns. "Name?" One of them ordered him.

"Virgil Schwartz." He answered them still keeping his gun up. "Fuhrer Bradley himself told me that I need to find Major Kimblee." He informed them. "I'm under his command."

"We were waiting for you." The older of the two put his gun down. "Come, follow us."

He put his gun in his holster and followed the two men. The two of them didn't talk, they only walked and expected him to follow.

As they entered the city deeper, the smell became worse. He had to hold his hand over his nose to not vomit because of it. When they turned the corner, his blue eyes widened at the sight.

All over the street were dead bodies of Ishvalans. All of them were covered in blood, some of them had bullet wounds and a few were burned in a high degree. The sand soaked up the blood underneath them, yet the sight continued to be a gory affair.

He turned his eyes away when he saw a child no older than ten shot in the head and looking at him with eyes filled with fears. The boy was dead, but the fear remained in him. He noticed how the two men didn't care for the bodies, how they were mindlessly making their way without caring if they stepped on bodies.

What kind of a person did that? Stepped on the bodies of the dead no matter if they were men, women or children without the care of the world.

The bodies kept growing and Virgil could swear that he saw babies and toddlers among the dead. He knew they were brought to exterminate every Ishvalan. He just didn't understand why children had to be a part of it too.

Virgil looked up at the walls that had been raised around the city. They had been raised to block the Ishvalans from leaving the city. From what he could see, it worked.

"There he is." One of the men told him and Virgil saw a man standing by a hole that was made in the hall.

His back was to him and he wasn't wearing the uniform jacket or coat they were all equipped with, he was wearing a simple sleeveless shirt. He gulped down and made his way to his commanding officer.

With every step he took, he noticed more things about the man, His hair was long and tied in a ponytail. They were dark and shining against the sun that had been bugging Virgil since he came here. He was shorter than Virgil and less formed too. It didn't seem like Major Kimblee was as intimidating as people made him to be.

"Major Kimblee." Virgil called the man who was inspecting the hole. He didn't turn around or say something. Seeing that he had no choice, Virgil continued to speak. "I'm Cadet Schwartz, Fuhrer Bradley told me that I will be under your command."

Kimblee hummed. He didn't turn to face him. "Schwartz?" He chuckled, "Ah yes, I got a message a few days ago that you were going to join my team."

Virgil nodded. He didn't know what to say, so he decided that being silent was the best thing he could do.

"You know, Schwartz." The Major began to say. "I just saved a Major for being court martialed." Virgil's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "It's shocking, I know." He frowned. How did the man know his reaction? "He was a lot like you, actually. A man born into a family name that is prestigious and highly regarded in Amestris. Of course, he doesn't have a father like yours."

"I promise you, sir-" Virgil began to say.

He cut him off. "No, no. I don't care about your father." As Kimblee said that Virgil noticed the tattoos on his palms. He guessed that they were alchemical symbols and he could clearly see that they were different from one another. "My question to you, Virgil Schwartz, is if you will be pulling a stunt like that."

Virgil shook his head. "No, sir." He informed the man. "I've come here to do my duty."

Zolf J. Kimblee didn't speak, he rather turned to look at him. The man had a pointed white face covered in dust and sand, he had let two strands of his hair fall on his face. His nose was straight, his lips were thin and they seemed to be more of a line than lips and his eyes were the one that gave him his reputation. There was something in the man's eyes that Virgil couldn't pinpoint that made him shudder.

The man studied him for awhile as his eyes scanned Virgil's face. It was as if he was trying to read him with just one look.

When he stopped, Kimblee gave him a smile. "Welcome to my team, Virgil Schwartz." The man walked past him and Virgil frowned. He didn't know if he was supposed to follow the man or stay in his place. "Oh, one more thing."

He glanced at the man's back as he waited for him to continue.

"Remember yours because I can assure I will never forget them."

* * *

His throat went dry, not because of the lack of water. It was the event that had just occurred before his eyes. A month had passed since he had come in the battlefield and he still had to get used to this.

He had never seen such destruction happen in a matter of seconds, so many people dead and so much blood spread. Only clap of his tattooed palms caused all of this, just a simple clap.

When people had told him about alchemy, Virgil remembered that he had found it a fascinating field. His maternal grandfather had been an alchemist, although he had never gotten the status of a state alchemist. His mother had told him that her father never wanted it and Virgil could understand why.

Alchemy had its perks and beauty to it, but like many things, it had its flaws and ugliness. He had just seen one of the ugliest forms of alchemy, he was sure of that.

His commanding officer had a unique style of alchemy. Virgil didn't understand most of it, but he did understand that he used matter to explosives which caused many buildings to fall and many people die. It was scary and violent. It never changed, it stayed the same and Virgil hoped that he would never be on the other side of Kimblee.

"See if there are anymore dead left." Kimblee ordered them. "If you see one, shoot them."

They all made their way down the rood of the building with guns and rifles on their hands. Virgil was the first one to get out of the building and his eyes immediately sought out for survivors. His knees were shaking and his breath was coming shallow. It wasn't fear of survivors, it was the fear of Kimblee's alchemy.

He scrunched up his nose when he caught sight of a woman who had tried to shield her children. The sight reminded him of his own mother and he knew that she would have done the same for him if he was in this situation.

Virgil pushed the woman away from the children and his heart broke when he saw that the boy had tried to protect his little sister. Somehow that sight was more painful especially when he couldn't feel a pulse on both of them.

He pushed the bodies away, so no one could step on them and he hoped that he would find time in the night to bury them.

When he was done with that, Virgil walked away from them and continued to do his job. Everyone was behind him, but he didn't care. He didn't trust any of them as he knew they would throw him to the wolves whenever they got the chance. They were all looking out for themselves. It was a good thing that Virgil was looking out for himself as well.

About to pass an alley, he heard a groan making his head snapped towards the direction. There was a trail of blood on the alley and he knew that someone had dragged themselves to hide.

His finger moved to the trigger as he walked as slowly as he could. The man had hidden behind a few sacks and he wouldn't be visible if it wasn't for the trail of blood.

Virgil came face to face with the man. He was an old man with long hair and a long beard that were all white. His skin was brown and his eyes were red just like with all Ishvalans. His hand was on his chest and he was bleeding from there.

"Blue eyed man," The man whispered. "Please, in the name of Ishvala, please, do not do this. Let me live."

His stare bored onto the man before he raised the gun. There was no questioning, he only had to shoot.

Three gunshots rang out in the alley and the man's had lowered. One bullet had gone through his head, one through his heart and one through his lungs. There was no way the man had escaped death. He had fought and tried to resist it, yet death had captured him like it had done with the others.

Virgil turned his back on the man and walked away from the alley to find any other survivors. Personally, he didn't find anyone else, although he did hear shots ring through the streets. His fellow soldiers definitely did.

He turned back to the base of the team and found his commanding officer looking at the city. "How kind of you was to move the woman with the children before killing a survivor of my attack."

Kimblee had seen him and Virgil said nothing to him. He found himself preferring to stay silent rather than talk to them man. The man intimidated him almost as much as Fuhrer Bradley had, if not more.

"I can't figure out what kind of person you are, Schwartz." He admitted. "You are a puzzle that I need to find the pieces of it." Again, he stayed silent. "I have a mission for you."

The sudden change of subject made Virgil furrow. "What kind of a mission, Major?"

"I just had a message from the central base and they told me that there have been some activity going on a few yards from here." The man explained to him. "An inn. You must know which one, we passed it two nights ago."

"I know, sir." Virgil admitted. "Am I going to take a team?"

Kimblee smiled at him. A smile that made him tense. "No." He answered him. "I think you can take this all on your own."

* * *

At first look, the inn looked empty. There was no light, no noise and not a single shadow could be seen from the outside. He cocked his head to the side and took a good look at the building. It had two floors, the ground one and another one. It was big, big enough to fit more than twenty people. It was also ruined and its roof was missing which meant that there were no Ishvalans on the first floor.

He took a deep breath before he moved away from the building. Entering the place from the front door was a suicide mission.

Virgil made his way to the back of the inn. There was no light, no noise and no shadow coming from this side either. He looked up and saw that the window of the upper floor was cracked open. There was a way for him to get in without the need of risking his life.

Taking a massive leap in the air, his feet landed on the window still of the lower floor window. He took a deep breath and moved to the tube that was on the side of the building. He took off the scarf that was used to hide his face from the sand and tied around the tube. When it was tied securely, Virgil put his feet on either side of the wall.

He bit his lip at the uncomfortable position as he began to climb the wall using the tube and the scarf wrapped around it. It was a difficult job and it took him more time than he would have wanted. Despite the struggle and the pain on his back, Virgil made his way to the window. He put his right hand on the still before putting his other hand. He pushed himself up and opened the window by putting his hand in the crack.

His feet landed on the floor which creaked. He put his gun away from his holster, fixed the silencer and he got out of the room. His steps were calculating and his ears were ready for any creak or breath that was coming his way.

Virgil moved to the side of the wall and he could hear steps coming up. "I'm pretty sure it was the wind." A man spoke from the bottom of the stairs.

He straightened his back and waited for the man to come. As soon as he appeared on his view, Virgil shot him two times. Due to his silencer, the gunshots weren't heard only the man's body was falling.

"What was that?" Another voice said from downstairs.

Virgil moved closer to the staircase and before, the man could climb the last one. He appeared and shot the man on the head.

The Ishvalan fell backwards and went down the stairs. His body dropped with a thud on the floor of the ground floor.

"Brother?" He heard someone call as Virgil hid behind the wall again. They were going to find out that he was here.

He cracked his neck, clenched his jaw and closed his eyes for a brief second. He knew that these minutes were possibly the last minutes of him on Earth. At least, he was going to go down as someone to be remembered.

"We're under attack!" A man exclaimed. "Someone is up the stairs!"

Virgil could feel people moving down the building, but he wasn't going to waste his breath waiting for them. He rushed down the stairs and shot the person who was standing before the body. He made his way from the top of the stairs and saw people come from a room.

"He's there!" Someone pointed at him as he hid behind the banister. Before someone could shut, Virgil raised his head and gun. He fired five shots to the direction of the group. He felt two men groaning in pain. He counted the bullets of the gun and the ones he had shot. From eighteen bullets he had in his gun, only nine were left.

"ON THE STAIRCASE!" A shout was heard.

Without thinking, Virgil took a few steps down. He squinted his eyes, kept his body straight and focused on the target. He shot all the bullets of the gun he had held and only four of them missed. Five of them hit his targets and they dropped to the ground.

His legs carried him down the stairs and towards a room. He thought that the room was empty, but when he heard someone rush at him.

Having no bullets in the gun he was holding, he dropped the gun and lunged at the man. At first, the other man got the control by pushing him against the wall. That didn't last long as Virgil raised his knee and hit him on the groin.

The man took a few steps backwards in a pain while Virgil punched him in the face. "He's in that room!"

He picked up the gun that was on his leg holster and shot the man before him. As soon as he did that, his gun pointed to the door and he shot two men that were coming at him. He ran towards the wall and he could feel his racing heart.

Virgil took a few deep breaths to calm himself before he left the room. He held the gun just like Riza had taught him to. He was focused, his posture was on point and his eyes rarely missed the target ahead.

There was no competition between the inexperienced Ishvalans and the intensive military trained Virgil. It wasn't a fair fight, despite the numbers. Life wasn't fair, after all.

Virgil didn't stop shooting his gun and Ishvalans didn't stop trying to fight him. They had a stubborn spirit, he admired them for that. When his gun was unloaded, his hand moved underneath his jacket where his shoulder holster was. He raised his glock and shot at the Ishvalans three times. All three of them dropped dead.

He spit down as he moved closer to where a sign of light was coming. Most of the men in the floor were killed and that meant that more men were in that room. He picked up a handgun of the Ishvalans and put it on his thigh holster.

Out of nowhere, he saw a young man, younger than him, pointing a gun at him. He tried to move away, but the bullet grazed his shoulder. He hissed in pain and cursed under his breath.

Virgil curled his lips and shot the younger man four times. He dropped on the floor and groaned. He walked towards him and saw that his breathing was slowing down and his eyes were closing. He shook his head and walked away from him, his right foot stepped on the shirt that the young man had been wearing his. His boots imprints were left on it.

The light that he had seen seemed to be a light coming from the basement. He reloaded his gun, checked if he had the knives on place and cracked the knuckles of his hands.

There were voices down and Virgil could clearly understand that they were talking about him. Their voices were shaking and their breaths were coming too fast. The men were scared and distracted which meant that this was his best chance.

His steps were fast and quiet as he descended the stairs. An Ishvalan saw him and shot at him. The bullet wounded his leg as the man's hands had been shaking, but a bullet in his leg didn't stop Virgil Schwartz. He had been trained for this, three years of his life had been spent with training and he wasn't going to waste them by.

As he hit, punched, kicked and shot at the man inside the inn, Virgil felt his blood rush and his adrenaline pump high. There was a certain enjoyment he got at killing these Ishvalans, a moment of pride and triumph when he knew that he was doing his job. The job he was trained to do and was brought here to do.

He kicked the last door open after he had cleared the hall. There were six people in the room and none of them was holding a gun.

Virgil dropped the bullets of his guns on the floor and threw the guns away. "What are you doing?" The oldest man in the room asked him.

A smile reached his lips as he looked at them. "Making it a fair fight." He answered. "Who's going to go first?"

* * *

The sun had been setting down when Virgil had made his way to the destination with only a few guns and three knives. He had gotten two combat knives and a butterfly knife before he left. The moon had moved to the other side of the horizon while he had been in the inn. He didn't have any guns, bullets and he only had one combat knife with him.

His clothes were soaked in blood and he knew he had drops of it on his face, maybe all over his face. He didn't bother to check.

Virgil was too busy with how thirsty and hungry he was feeling. There was also a need for sleep and comfort. His back was killing him and his eyes kept wanting to be closed for a couple of hours. He thought about the report he was going to make to Kimblee. He stopped in his tracks as he tried to remember how many people he killed. Had it been a dozen or more? Maybe the number had reached twenty? Or had it surpassed it? Virgil had no idea and he couldn't find the energy to go back and count. He knew that people would go to the inn and give an official report of what happened.

He glanced at the moon on the sky and smiled. His mother used to love the moon more than she loved the sun. According to her, the moon represented women, water and the dark side of nature. Could the moon represent the side of him which he has just unleashed? Did it represent the darker side of Virgil Schwartz?

It took him awhile, almost an hour to reach the base. He blamed it on the tiredness that had taken over him with the added factors of how hungry, thirsty and uncomfortable he felt.

When he felt his leg throb, he remembered that it was actually injured. It was his left leg to be blamed for how slow he was going back to the base.

"Who's there?" Someone called. He couldn't even process who the voice belonged to, he simply didn't care.

"It's me." He answered. "It's Virgil Schwartz."

The man's eyes widened and his expression fell. "No way." Virgil stepped into the light and the man shook his head. "You aren't-you aren't-"

"Save me the shock." He waved off the military man. "I need you to get me some medical help, food, water and prepare me a bed."

Virgil dragged his leg as the man stood frozen on the spot. He came closer to the base and every person turned to look at him. All their eyes opened wide, their jaws fell and their eyebrows rose. He ignored each one of them as he made his way to the tent.

"Someone call the doctor." A person said. "The Major as well."

When Virgil made his way to the tent, he saw his commanding officer waiting for him outside of it. There was a smile, a sinister smile on the State Alchemist's face.

"All of them were killed, no survivors, sir." Virgil muttered with all the strength and energy he had left. He was doing his best not to fall on the ground as his knees were about to buckle.

Kimblee hummed as there was a flash on his eyes. He put his hands in his pockets and stepped in front of Virgil. The two men were face to face now. "Good job, Schwartz." He commented as he looked down at him from head to toes. "Although, you have quite a hard work ahead cleaning all that blood." His smile grew at his own words.

* * *

_**Here is the eighth chapter of this story. I hope you are enjoying it and I hope you'll like the rest. Next chapter is going to be a little different from the others and you're going to see why. I can't wait to show it to you all.**_

_**Hazel Fontaine: **_Wow, I've seen people make the Ishval/Ishvala/Ishvalans mistake (including myself), but never seen Winry being called Wendy. I don't get how you can mix them up, but who knows? I'm glad to know that you enjoyed the chapter. Bradley is that character who you hate, but love how he was written.

_**Next up, In The Name Of God**_


	9. In The Name Of God

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY STORY AND ITS ORIGINAL CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

Months had passed since the day he was brought here. The war still raged on, alchemists did their job and the soldiers did too. Ishvalans died, military officials died. It was an ongoing cycle that a few months ago gave him nightmares. Now, he just had sleepless nights.

He put some water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. His face had gotten tanned because of the sun that he was exposed everyday. His dark blonde hair had gotten darker somehow and his green eyes had never been more empty. There was nothing in them, just the bodies of the people who had been killed.

Leaving the washroom, he headed to where his team was. They had moved away from their usual camp to another district. They all had taken a break for the day. Some were drinking, some were eating and some were sleeping. Him on the other hand, couldn't do any of them. He sat next to his commanding officer.

First Lieutenant Maes Hughes. Correction, Captain Maes Hughes, the man had gotten promoted recently because more high ranked officials were dying. He was a tall man, his hair were dark, he had been growing a beard these past few months and his eyes were green, but they were shielded by his glasses.

"You need to sleep, Hummel." Hughes told him and he turned to look at the man. "You don't sleep at all."

Joseph gave him a small nod. "I'll manage without sleep, sir. I'll manage." It wasn't the first time in his life that he hadn't slept for months, it was a habit of him since he was young.

As soon as he got himself comfortable on the ground, they all heard shouts and screams. "YOU ISHVALANS BRATS!" They all turned their heads to look at the person who was making all of this nose. It was a short elderly man with grey hair and a long mustache. He lifted his chin and saw that the man's left leg had been injured. "How dare you... Sons of bitches!"

One of the soldiers snorted. "Well, if it isn't old man Comanche."

Joseph cocked his head. Comanche? Wasn't a man named Comanche a State Alchemist?

"Wonder if he was shot?" A soldier next to him, wondered.

"His left leg is injured." Joseph responded. "I'll bet he will be fine. I don't think an injured man could howl so loudly."

Another man shook his head. "I don't see why he's complaining." He muttered. "He can go home."

Most of the soldiers longed for their homes, if not all of them. They all wanted to return to whatever city or village they lived, to be with their families, to hug their parents, kiss their spouses and hold their kids. They all had something to return to. All, but Joseph. He really didn't have anyone besides Virgil who clearly had his own life.

The men continued to talk as they drank, ate and smoked their cigarettes. He noticed that his commanding officer was rather silent. In fact, he seemed like he was looking at someone.

Joseph followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at a dark haired man a few feet away. His eyes lowered to the man's hands, which were covered in gloves. A transmutation circle was drawn on them and he tried to remember which alchemist wore gloves.

The answer dawned on him a split second later. It was rumored that the Flame Alchemist wore gloves that created his flame. Could this man be the same man who had burnt hundreds of Ishvalans?

"Roy!" Hughes called a name and the man turned to look at him. His commanding officer walked to the man.

Joseph looked away and sighed. He pressed his palms together as he let the sun burn on the back of his head.

"From what district do you come, man?" One of the soldiers asked a man who had just sat nearby them.

"Section fifteen." The redheaded man whistled. "Saw the Lotus Crimson Alchemist's job with my own eyes." He told them. "He is definitely the most ruthless one of all alchemists and he has made most of his team as well."

His ears perked up. Virgil was under the command of this State Alchemist, he was sure of that.

"People have been saying that he's bloodthirsty." The oldest man in the group muttered.

"It's sad that he dragged the youngest of his team in this." The redheaded man continued. "He's the son of that disgraced General?" Joseph curled up his lips. "What was his name? I couldn't remember."

"Hector Schwartz." Joseph informed the man who raised his eyebrows.

"Don't take it as a big deal, man." One of his peers spoke. "Hummel is like an encyclopedia when it comes to knowing the military." The other men laughed , but he stayed silent. None of these people knew how important was to know the military officials. How would he climb the ranks if he didn't?

"As I was saying, this Schwartz is a killing machine. Nothing can stop him." Joseph's eyes widened. He had seen the build his friend had formed over the years in the academy, yet he was surprised by the story. "Went in an inn filled with Ishvalans a few months ago, no one expected him to leave. He came back a few hours later, covered in blood and he had killed each person there."

The chances of the man's words being a rumor were high. It could have been a lie. He doubted that it was. War changed people for better or for worse. It pushed people past their limits and it probably pushed past Virgil's. It pushed so far that his oldest friend had killed dozens of people.

It was interesting, he thought. Virgil had killed many people according to the rumors, while Joseph himself had the luck not to kill a single one.

* * *

The sun had started to come down and the day was almost over. He was glad of that, he thought to himself. He needed to rest his body even though he couldn't close his eyes. He sniffed as he supported his head against the wall.

He was sitting on the sand as he watched the people around him. Some people gushed over the letters that they had gotten, some whined about the war while some just stared at the sand.

Joseph had always known that people weren't the same. Each person was different from the other. They had different beginnings, relationships motives, goals and endings. He had grown up in an environment that made him learn that at an early age.

The battlefield showed that people were so different from the others more than anything. You could see it on the effects that the war had on them. Some soldiers brushed it off and said that it was their duty, some were haunted by it and regretted joining the military. Some enjoyed the thrill of the kill and it was obvious in their malicious eyes, some had to do it with encouragement and tears in their eyes. Some waited for the war to end and some for it to continue. They were so many groups of different people and he was taking account for each person he met.

"Cadet Hummel."

His attention drifted from his task and turned to see who had called him. It was Maes Hughes who had Flame Alchemist with him.

Joseph got up from his seat and walked towards the two men. "Yes, sir?" He questioned as he glanced at the alchemist. The man had dark bags under his eyes, his hair was messy and he looked more pale than he looked tanned. This was one of the men who was haunted by his killings, there was no doubt.

"You mentioned that you knew who Hawk's Eye was." Maes reminded him.

He gave a simple nod. "I have a theory that it's probably ninety percent right." He answered.

Hughes turned to the alchemist. "Told you, Roy." He said. "Hummel here, knows about everything about everyone. It's quite helping."

"How can a cadet know so much?" The Flame Alchemist wondered as he crossed his arms.

"I have ears to listen, mouth to speak and eyes to see, sir." Joseph responded to him. "I happen to use them more than the average person."

Hughes patted him on his shoulder. "That's why as soon as this war is over, he'll be in my team." Joseph tried to say something and Hughes' eyes darkened. "It's too late to say no." He shut his mouth.

He let out a deep breath. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you need to talk to Hawk's Eye?"

"She saved our lives by killing an Ishvalan." Hughes responded to his question.

"Follow me." Joseph turned his back and let the two men follow him.

As soon as he had heard the name Hawk's Eye, it hadn't taken him long to realize that it was Virgil's blonde friend in the academy, Riza Hawkeye. It wasn't only the name that gave it away, it was a few letters he had received from his best friend. He had mentioned a few times that Riza had a talent with guns that hadn't been seen in the military for years.

He had seen her around camp a few times, had only talked to her once. She seemed so tired, haunted and wrapped in her own thoughts that he decided not to bother her. The war haunted her just like it did with him and many others.

His eyes sought out for her and he would have missed her if she hadn't lifted her chin. She had the hood of her jacket on and it concealed. "There she is." He muttered to the two men.

"Yo!" Hughes called making her look up. "Thanks for before. You were the one who shot that, right?"

Joseph saw as the Major next to him, took a step forward before he stopped in his tracks. He frowned and glanced at Riza.

The hood fell down revealing the blonde under it. The alchemist's eyes widened at the sight of her. Joseph glanced at his commanding officer, but Hughes seemed as confused as he was.

"It's been a while, Mr. Mustang." Riza spoke to the man.

Joseph raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that the two of them went back and knew each other. He studied the two of them as they looked at each other. While he couldn't read Hawkeye's expression, it was clear that Major Mustang was shocked to see her.

"No, perhaps I should call you Major Mustang." She kept her eyes locked with the man. Joseph wondered for a moment what was their history.

"Did you know that they knew each other?" Maes whispered to him.

Joseph scoffed. "I know now, sir." He answered.

The two of them let the two other get reunited and walked a way a few feet from them. "How did you pick this habit of yours? Needing to know everything?"

He felt a shudder come all over his body at the question. "It's a product of my environment. I needed to know things about people to live."

"You had an odd family." The Captain pointed out to him.

Joseph hummed. "You can say that." He murmured under his breath. He had been raised in a different way than his fellow soldiers, he had been raised by the streets and if he could call someone a family, he definitely would call the military police, homeless people, Virgil and his mother, and Mr. Blake.

He turned his head away from his commanding officer and in that moment, he saw no one other than Virgil walking with his team towards his direction.

His chin was up, his shoulders were straight and he had a focused gaze on his face. He was staring with the most blank expression Joseph had seen. It surpassed even Hawkeye's face. As he saw his best friend, he wondered what the Lotus Crimson Alchemist made him do.

* * *

"There have been some rumors about you lately." He told Virgil as they were sitting down to eat their food. There were other people around them. His commanding officer was with Hawkeye and the Flame Alchemist while Kimblee was sitting on an old box a few feet away from them. "They have been calling you a killing machine."

Virgil swallowed his food. "I guess I am." He responded. "Major Kimblee has been making me deal with his leftovers."

Joseph blinked a few times at the words of his friends. "Leftovers? You're calling humans leftovers?"

"I don't, he does." He muttered under his breath. "It's how war is, right? We kill the enemy, go to sleep and repeat the same thing."

Joseph didn't say anything to him, he didn't know if his friend wanted to hear how he had not killed a single Ishvalan. "I guess." He murmured. "So, he lives to his reputation?"

"Don't speak so loudly." Virgil warned him. "Kimblee has sharp ears and he never forgets a face. He always remembers the faces of the people he killed or encountered. He has the best memory I've ever seen."

Joseph didn't say anything, he noticed that his friend wasn't terrified of the infamous alchemist. He wasn't inspired or fascinated by him either. He was just careful and wary which was something he would never have thought Virgil would be.

"Why did it turn out this way?" He heard Riza ask the two men she was eating with.

Joseph didn't understand the pain, grief and anger she or Virgil felt about killing people, but he understood what a toll this situation had on people. It was taking the joy and the life they all had, it was making them become numb and only think about death.

"Why?" He turned his head to Virgil's commanding officer. "Because that's the job of a state alchemist. Why are soldiers, who ought to protect citizens, killing them instead?" The whole camp had turned to look at Kimblee. "Because that is the task given to us." His dark eyes landed on Riza. "Am I wrong?"

"Are you saying we should accept this?" Mustang was the one to respond back. "Accept this brutal scene?"

Joseph narrowed his eyes as he listened to the exchange. He put down his bowl and looked at the two alchemists.

"You can't accept it as your job?" Kimblee asked Mustang before looking around. "Everyone else?"

He knew that it had been his choice to join the military. He had done it because he really didn't see a future in his life and the military was accepting him with open arms despite from where he came from. There was also the reason that he wanted to prove Mr. Blake wrong. A reason he hadn't told anyone.

A man next to Kimblee, had said something, but Joseph wasn't paying attention to him. He saw Kimblee turn and point a finger at Riza. "The young lady there. She is wearing the face that just says that she thinks she's doing this unwillingly ."

Riza looked down. "That's right…" She admitted. "Killing isn't enjoyable."

"Is that right?" Kimblee questioned her. He noticed Virgil's head bow and he furrowed his eyebrows. "When you defeat your opponent, can you definitely say that you don't think 'I hit him! All right!' and hold pride in your skill, that you don't have even a little moment when you feel a sense of achievement in your work, miss Sniper?"

Everyone froze at his words. Joseph looked around waiting for someone to react. They all looked like they had been slapped in the face, slapped by the truth.

The first one to react was Mustang who got up and gripped the other alchemist by the jacket. "DON'T SAY ANY MORE OF THAT!" He shouted at Kimbley as everyone looked down.

"In my view, you are the ones that I can't understand." He continued despite Mustang's threat. "To seek justice in a special place like the battlefield is what's strange."

Joseph couldn't help, but think that they could have stopped this from happening. All they had to do was listen to one man who had been trying to tell them the truth for years. They didn't, they had insulted him, his whole family and they were all to blame.

"Is it heretical to kill with alchemy? Is it better to kill with a gun? Or is that you were prepared to kill one or two, but can't bear killing thousands?" Kimblee continued to speak. He pointed his finger to his uniform. "When you wore this of your own will, weren't you already prepared? If you don't like it, you shouldn't have worn it in the first place. You moved on this path on your own, why are you playing the victim now? If you're going to take pity on yourself, don't kill people in the first place."

He watched as Mustang's eyes widened and the others' soldiers face fall at what Kimblee was saying. Virgil kept his face straight and blank. Just like him, Virgil had always known it was their own choices that led them in the battlefield.

"Don't avert your eyes from death. Look forward. Look at the people you're killing in the face. And don't forget them. Don't forget. Don't forget. They won't forget you either." He saw a man next to him gulped down while another walked away.

Kimblee was right, there was no denying that. Yet Joseph knew that there was a big difference between them and him. He enjoyed what he was doing and they didn't, it made his words something to tread on rather than dive in them.

When the alarm rang, he turned to Virgil. "I'm in section eighteen." He told his friend. "What about you?"

"Sixteen." He answered.

Joseph gave him a small smile. "See you around, Virgil." He would have hugged his friends, it just seemed that his friend wasn't welcoming to them anymore. He gave him a pat on his shoulder before making his way to Maes Hughes.

* * *

His green eyes counted the covered bodies of his fellow soldiers. He had known some of them, two of them had been in the academy with him. They were all dead.

There was Joseph Hummel, alive and kicking while many others were dead. He pushed his hair out of his face and let out a sigh.

He remembered some of them wanting to go back to their family, to the people who loved them and he felt guilty. He was a person who had no one waiting for him, no family and here he was alive while others had people waiting for them.

Joseph pushed the thought away as he thought about his goals, goals that he knew most of his fellow soldiers didn't dare to dream about. He didn't have these dreams when he started the military academy, but his mentors told him that he had potential. The worst thing that Joseph could do was waste that potential away.

Life hadn't been easy on him, he had been faced with struggles and difficulties since he was a little boy. He had been belittled, insulted and humiliated for most part of his life. He was judged by his clothes, appearance and behavior. The only person he remembered that treated him well was Virgil and after him, came Adrienne.

Military wasn't giving him opportunities that he had to take. He needed to do anything to prove that he was worthy, that he deserved good things in his life despite what he had been told by Mr. Blake.

"HUMMEL!" He turned his head to see one of the men in his team. "Grab your gun, we're going to the western sector. There's something wrong.."

Joseph gulped down as he thought this was probably going to be the moment where he killed someone. The day had finally arrived. He took a deep breath, got his gun and followed the man.

He walked towards Hughes who turned to him as soon as he saw him. "We're going to capture the main boulevard in the western sector and rendezvous with Harry squad!" He explained to Joseph and the rest of them. "Bertha, Antoine, Caesar, circle around from the right! Coordinate your movements with mine." He cleared his throat. "You stay close to me, Joseph,"

"Yes, sir."

They made their way to the boulevard and Joseph's heart started to beat fast. He held his gun up as they neared the place.

His hands began to shake and his breath became shallow as he watched around. He gripped the gun and tried to focus. He should think about survival, not think about killing people. He could think about that later.

Not a minute passed when an Ishvalan jumped next to Clay, one of the soldiers. Clay didn't hesitate to shoot the Ishvalan on the head. Shots began to fire, yet Joseph didn't fire a single one. He had his soldiers surrounding him and he would kill his own team if he tried.

When they came closer, Hughes turned to someone. "KAUFMAN, DORA! BACK ME UP!"

Kaufman who was the fastest of them all, moved in front of him, Hughes and the rest of the team. There was some Ishvalans on the bottom of steps. They muttered something under their breath making frown. The frown faltered when he saw the dynamite that one was holding.

"EVERYBODY, WATCH OUT!" He shouted before ducking down. Some had listened to him and some didn't.

He heard the explosion and he heard someone groan in pain before him. He squeezed his eyes shut knowing that it was Kaufman. He had been closer to the dynamite and even though he ducked, it didn't help him.

When he opened his eyes, Joseph saw the man bleeding. "MEDIC!" Hughes shouted behind him.

He put his gun and he knew that this time he wouldn't hesitate. The Ishvalans had hurt a friend of his and he was tired of playing around. He was brought here to kill and he should do his duty.

Joseph looked up and saw the last thing he would have expected to see in the battlefield. A white flag waving. "Captain Hughes, look!"

"What the-" The man cut himself off as he was amazed to see the flag. Everyone had stopped shooting and waited for someone to show themselves.

A few minutes later, an old man came up to them followed by a few others. His mouth opened when he realized that it was the Supreme Cleric.

Hughes stopped the others from shooting the man and his followers. They all stood watching the man and his followers take a few steps towards them.

Joseph took deep breaths as Hughes spoke. "You're the supreme clerk, Logue Lowe." He said to the old man. "But I heard that you were hidden in the Ishvalan wilderness."

The supreme clerk looked at his commanding officer. "I have not the temperament to sit quietly by and watch my people die senseless deaths." Joseph gulped down as he felt a pang of guilt spread through his body. "I wish to speak to King Bradley."

His eyes widened and he almost dropped his gun to the news. The supreme clerk was taking a big risk coming here and asking for their leader. The desperation to end the war was big on the man and Joseph couldn't blame the man.

"I offer my life in exchange for the lives of surviving the Ishvalans." The supreme clerk announced. "I wish my life to be last one taken in this war."

Joseph was sure that his eyes were widened so much that they would fall on the sand. He closed his mouth to stop the sand getting in it and turned to Hughes. "What should we do?"

"Go with his proposal." He responded to Joseph before turning to the Ishvalans. He took off his hat. "I understand, sir. I'll communicate your wish to my superiors." He gulped down. "You stay with them, Hummel. I'll go talk to Brigadier General Fessler and call some medics for the injured.."

As Hughes started to leave, Joseph turned his head to the supreme clerk and his people. "You need to have a little patience, sir. We will get a message soon."

"All I have left is patience, nothing left." The supreme clerk responded to him.

He looked down to his feet trying to forget all the things he had seen, heard or even smelt. He needed to be calm and prepare the Ishvalans for whatever was the answer.

* * *

Even though, he had been with the Ishvalans when Hughes and Grand had talked to Brigadier General Fessler, he knew something had happened. Something fishy. How did a stray bullet hit the general all of the sudden? He wasn't with them in the sectors, he had been waiting.

He wondered who had done it, but he knew that he wouldn't be getting any answer. He needed to pretend that happened to the General.

His eyes studied the supreme clerk as he talked to Fuhrer Bradley while the man stayed silent. He had met the Fuhrer a few times whether it had been in Central or Ishvalan. Yet the man made Joseph shudder in fear and tense. There was so much power that Fuhrer King Bradley held. He had more power in his fingertip than Joseph had in his whole body.

Although he had high ambitions, Joseph knew that the seat of the Fuhrer wasn't for him. He didn't need all the weight of the world on his shoulders, he needed just some of it like a few Generals had.

Fuhrer Bradley hummed when the supreme clerk was done. "So you'd like me to spare the lives of ten thousands of people in exchange for your life?"

"Yes, I am." Logue Lowe admitted as he moved his hands a little. Joseph had been ordered to tie ropes around them and he knew he had tied them enough to make them want to stretch.

"How arrogant." When the Fuhrer uttered those words, Joseph frowned and cocked his head. "Do you really believe that your life is equal to tens of thousands of others?" The whole room had shocked expressions on their faces. Ishvalans started to sweat even more. "Spare me your conceit. One person's life is worth only one life. Nothing more, nothing less." Joseph looked down as he knew what was coming. "There will be no exchange. Neither will I stop the extermination."

He let out a sigh. It had been foolish and naive of him to think that the proposal would stop the war. He thought that the life of supreme clerk would help save the Ishvalans, he hoped that the genocide would stop. There would be no more killing of innocent people. He realized how much of a child's dream it was.

"You've wasted enough of my time with this foolishness. Take them away." Fuhrer Bradley ordered them.

Before they could even move, an Ishvalan spoke. "YOU'RE INHUMAN!"

"GOD WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN FOR THIS!" The other announced.

"God?" Fuhrer Bradley scoffed. "What a strange notion you hold to." He raised his arms. "If you're sure as important to this God as you believe, surely would strike me down." The leader of their country was ridiculing their religion and their God. He was mocking them with no hesitation. "You, Ishvalans, are to be wiped out… well?" Joseph squeezed his eyes shut. "Why hasn't your God intervened yet? When and where is he planning to show up? I'd like to meet him. What is 'God' anyway?"

He wasn't the Fuhrer's biggest fan, but in that moment, he knew that a leader who didn't respect his people's own beliefs was no leader at all. Fuhrer Bradley was an intelligent, strong, powerful and cunning man, but he was no leader of Amestris.

"Isn't your God just an idol created by those too weak to take responsibility for their own fates? Can a mere idol bring down me, King Bradley? How amusing." He continued to taunt the religious Ishvalans in the room. "Take them away. Treat them like other Ishvalans." Joseph licked his lips. "Captain Hughes, you will return to your post and continue the extermination under Colonel Gran's command… and with few casualties on our side as possible."

As soon as he said those words, the Ishvalans started to insult the man and call him names. Fuhrer Bradley didn't react, he only watched them as they were dragged by the other soldiers.

"Come with me." Hughes murmured to all of his team.

Joseph turned to look at the Fuhrer one more time. The man could have ended the deaths of ten thousands of Ishvalans, all he had to agree to the proposal. He didn't. He stuck to his mind and his philosophy. A philosophy, which had truth in it, yet a philosophy, not many people believed including Joseph. He had been raised to know that the rich and powerful mattered more than the poor and powerless, he had been shown that repeatedly throughout his life.

The Ishvalans's belief in their God made more sense than his philosophy. A philosophy that to him sounded like an excuse not to end all of this.

* * *

Joseph took a gulp of water as he looked from the balcony. The sun was setting and the soldiers were coming from different sectors to the base. He watched them as they moved around and let out a sigh. How long was this going to last?

He heard a few steps coming towards him and turned to see his commanding officer. "What happened to Logue Lowe and his followers?" He knew what happened, they were killed. It was just the details that he wanted to know.

Hughes sighed. "They were shot by some troops." He shook his head. "That was quite a meeting."

He let out a snort. "You don't say." He muttered. "It was the most interesting one I've ever been into."

"Me too." The Captain agreed with him. "The Fuhrer made a compelling argument."

"You mean a compelling excuse?" Hughes raised an eyebrow at him. "I know I can get court martialled or something, but he did. He was right, a life should only be exchanged for one life." Joseph continued. "It's just that we all know that doesn't matter in the world we live in, the life of a leader matters more than the life of a teacher, for example. I just think Bradley wanted to just finish the job he started."

Hughes smirked. "You should watch your mouth, Hummel. What you said can get you in trouble."

"I know." He admitted as he bowed his head down. "I'm just tired of people being killed."

"None by you, though." Hughes pointed out making him look up. "Don't you think I noticed? You are just as sneaky as a cat, Hummel. You end up finding reasons not to shoot or kill anyone, you always jump to the opportunity and no one really notices it."

"You did." Joseph said. "Are you going to make me kill a bunch of people now?"

His Captain shook his head. "If I wanted you to kill someone, I would have made you kill the supreme clerk and his people. I don't want you to kill, it's not like you are putting us all on risk not killing." He answered him. "What do you do that?"

"When I was younger, I used to get in a lot of trouble." He explained. "The MPs in South City prepared their cuffs as soon as they saw me, I always found myself in trouble somehow. Someone told me once that one day, I will be a killer. He said that the only thing I can do right is comitting crimes, nothing else. He told me that I was nothing, but a criminal." Joseph laughed. "I guess he hit me right in my soft spot and from there, I changed my attitude. I became a better citizen and I said that I will never commit crimes. Here I am, in the military, partaking in genocide because I'm under orders to. So, I'm trying my best not to kill anyone."

Hughes hummed. "You don't give me the impression that you were a troublemaker in the past."

"I'm a changed man." Joseph stated. "Although, I take full responsibility for my choices as a young kid."

"You are no man who puts the weight on God?"

He tensed at the memory of the meeting. "I don't believe in God. Never raised to."

"Didn't you parents try to teach you that it might exist?" Hughes wondered.

Joseph felt his body still and his heart skip. "I was an orphan." The other man raised an eyebrow. "The people in the orphanage really didn't teach about religion, plus, Mr. Burke was a strict man."

Hughes mused. "It all makes sense now." He huffed. "Expect for the whole family thing."

"The military police was kind of my family." Joseph responded. "The homeless people of city I used to hang out with them a lot. My best friend and his mother as well, although, for a long time, she thought I could be a bad influence on him and Mr. Blake, the man who ran the orphanage. I count them as family."

"So, no one really lectured you about God."

"No one really lectured me about anything." He informed his commanding officer. "I learned it all by myself and one of the things I learned was to respect people's belief in God."

* * *

_**I hope you all liked seeing Joseph as a POV. He's a very important character and his journey will be featured as well, but Virgil is still the main character of this story. I did like writing this chapter as it was from a different perspective unlike the other chapters. Also, Roy and Maes made their first appearance! Yay! I love them so much.**_

_**The Last Bullet: **_Kimblee is probably the most fucked up character in FMA, but he's also one of the most interesting one as well.

_**ShadowHeart175:**_ It's good to see that you are enjoying the story so far and I hope you enjoy the rest of what I've planned. Virgil is the most badass character I've ever written and he is so fun to write. There will be more changes concerning Virgil in his future because things will be getting more exciting.


	10. The Last Day

_**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

The news had spread over the camp as fast as they could. People were celebrating, they laughed, sang and drank for the whole night. An eighth year war finally being over was an amazing news to hear, although, the end of it was nothing to celebrate.

He didn't feel anything as he looked down from the cliff to the view. What a view it was. It was one that he would not even dreamed of in his worst nightmares, but he knew that it was going to be a part of it in his future nightmares.

Virgil was haunted by what he had seen and done. For several months, he had been killing or watching people kill Ishvalans. It had been a never ending journey and he thought he was going to do this for the rest of his life. He had been twenty when he had come here and now, he was twenty one nearing the age of twenty two. A year had passed since he stepped in Ishval and he felt like he grew more than he ever grew. The war and the crimes that he committed made him grow up.

His fingers tapped the neck of the beer bottle that was given to him. If something was happening deal with this, it was alcohol and he wasn't going to shy away from it. He took a sip of it and let out a sigh.

"Hey." He hadn't heard Riza walk by him. He turned to look at her and saw that she was just as tired and drained as he was. He didn't know if either of them could have continued with the war. She took a seat next to him and pushed her bangs out of her forehead. "Are you alright?"

Virgil had never felt like this. Not when his parents divorced, not when he lost his mother, not when he was basically disowned by his father and not when he was sent to Ishval. The reason why he didn't know what he felt was because he felt nothing. He felt empty inside.

"Just peachy." He responded to her and faked a smile. "How about you?"

Riza looked at the view. She sniffed a few times before wincing. The stench of burned bodies was still there and he guessed that was what troubled her. "Waiting to leave this place as soon as possible." She answered him. "We're going to finish the academy."

Virgil looked down. He had gotten the news early in the morning about the academy. "They have transferred me to the Central academy." Her head snapped to his direction. "They thought it was better like that since I worked with a lot of Central soldiers."

"Oh." Riza muttered. "That'll be good for you. You'll have Joseph there, won't you?"

He nodded. One of the reasons why he wasn't that bothered with it was Joseph. He was his oldest and closest friend, he was the one who knew him better than anyone else. He wouldn't mind that at all.

The downside was the friendships he had made in the East. He wouldn't be able to see them and hang out with them like he used to. He had made good friends in all of them, especially with Riza. There was no doubt that he was closest to her compared to the others.

"It's good." He admitted. "It won't stop me from missing you."

Riza snorted. "I'm actually a little bit relieved you won't be there." He raised an eyebrow at her. "I've had enough of you and your obsession with pirates."

"Just admit that you're going to miss me." He told her. "It's impossible not to miss me, I'm such a joy." He was trying to make the atmosphere good, although he wasn't feeling it. His friend seemed to feel the same. "Alright, don't admit it. I'm not going to answer your calls when you miss me."

"Again, hard to do." She muttered making him shake his head.

His blue eyes went across the moon. The moon didn't have the usual silver color, it was a yellow colored moon. It was strange, but he kinda liked it.

Riza pulled a red apple from her pocket and bit on it. "Is it true what they're saying about you? How you entered an inn and killed more than twenty people?"

Virgil's mind flashed to that night. He remembered the blood, the screams, the gunshots, the labored breaths and the fast beating of hearts. He closed his eyes and he felt his head throb in pain. It happened every time he got remembered of it. "Yes, it is." He answered. "Major Kimblee told me it was my job and I finished it." He gulped down as he opened his eyes. "Are people talking about it?"

"Yes, they are." She answered him. "Some are calling you a killing machine."

Those words stung him. In fact, it was worse than a stung. It was a stab in the heart. He felt his body tense and he felt his blood boil. He could feel Riza's eyes on him, so he tried to pretend he wasn't bothered by it. After all, he was Kimblee's killing machine.

"At least, I won't be compared to Hector anymore." Was all he could say. It was true. He had built a reputation of his own and he was separated from his father's. He had yearned for this, but he didn't want it like this.

"Are you afraid to see him in Central?" Riza questioned him.

He shook his head. "His pride is so fragile that he probably moved out in another country." He downed his drink. "How about you Hawk's Eye? The best sniper in the war?"

Riza looked down to her shoes. "It's not something to be proud of, you know that?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "I just-just feel like I made a mistake in joining the military."

"Well, you felt inspired to join in, didn't you?" He remembered the first talk that he had with her years ago.

"I don't feel inspired anymore." She spoke what he already knew. "I don't know how I feel."

Virgil put his arm around her and sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't have a clue either."

"Strangely, it does."

* * *

The photo seemed to be the only thing that was enticing emotion on Virgil. It made him feel a bitter melancholy. There was a photo of a family. A family of three, a couple with their daughter. All of them had the same blonde hair and blue eyes. They all looked so happy. That happiness was ruined.

Yuriy and Sarah Rockbell were gone, killed by a mysterious figure. Their team was supposed to do it, but it seemed like someone else already did. They had been sent to kill the couple as they were doctors who were healing Ishvalans. He admired the doctors for sticking to their initial job. Their job was to save people no matter what and they had done that upon their last breaths.

They had a daughter. A daughter who seemed in the photo to be five or six, he couldn't tell. That girl was going to receive the news that her parents were dead and Virgil knew how that felt. He only wished that she had someone by her side. He knew that was what people needed.

He stood just outside a military building in Ishval. Kimblee was inside talking to some Generals and he had ordered the whole team to stay outside.

His commanding officer was a strange man. There was no doubt that he was a brutal murderer who saw his work as art. Everytime, he tried to do it better than the last time. It was deeply disturbing. To Virgil's surprise, he was smart, had a sharp memory and in some sorts was a very philosophical man. It took Virgil a few times to think before understanding what Kimblee said.

The sun was burning on his head and he pulled his hat closer to his forehead. His face was red and it burned. He waited for the moment when he said goodbye to the sun and enjoyed a little bit of rain. He couldn't grasp the fact that he missed the rain that poured sometimes.

Virgil tried to remember the last time he had been in Central City. He only remembered his grandmother, her cookies and the massive mansion that he got lost into. Everything else was a blur to him and he wondered if anything had changed about it. He knew he wouldn't remember, but he was curious.

His eyes turned immediately to the door when he heard a commotion inside the building. He immediately reached out for his gun and sought out for his fellow soldiers. They looked just as confused as he was. What was happening there?

The blast that followed the commotion answered his question. Kimblee happened, there was no doubt.

For a moment, he wondered what he was going to do next. Was he going to attack his commanding officer or was he going to let him go? He was the one who commanded him, but Kimblee was commanded by the people inside of that building. The Generals that he had probably killed with that blast.

His heart skipped a beat when Kimblee stepped out of the building. The man's knees were buckling and he was holding his tattooed hands. As he walked towards them, the man licked his lips that had been smeared with blood. Afterwards, he burst into laughter. A laughter that made Virgil's insides churn as it sounded like a maniacal one. The man had lost control, he was sure of that.

Without thinking about anything else, but his own survival, Virgil raised his gun and shot him on the shoulder. The other men all stared at him in shock.

"I always knew that you were the one I should be more wary of." When Kimblee turned to him, he was looking at Virgil with a look that he knew very well. It was the look that he had on him every time he was going to make a catastrophe. He had seen people run away from that look. He didn't even think of doing that.

There was no hesitation or remorse on Virgil when he shot the man another time in the stomach. He could feel his hands shaking and his body tremble. He was going to die soon, he knew that.

Suddenly, Kimblee ran towards him and he was about to clap his hands together. Virgil dropped the gun, rushed towards the man and gripped his hands before the man could do anything to him.

He bit his lip as he felt Kimblee do his hardest to clap his hands together. If the alchemist did that, he knew the both of them and the whole team were going to die. The same team that was doing nothing to prevent Kimblee.

"You know why I sent you in that inn?" Virgil didn't respond as he tried to push the was stronger than Kimblee, the alchemist was just more powerful and that power could lead them all to the grave. "To kill you. I sent you there to be dead." He didn't say anything in response, he already had a hunch about that. "I was ordered to kill you." Virgil's eyes widened at what the man said.

Because of the news, he had just heard Virgil let go of Kimblee's hands and he regretted that decision immediately. The man clapped his hands.

All he could remember was him leaping through the air and ending up a few feet away from the man. He could feel himself bleed out on his stomach and the back of his head was hurting. The blow wasn't as big as he thought it would be, all he saw was a red flash of light.

Virgil put his hand on his stomach and he could feel the blood on his hands. He looked up to Kimblee who had walked up to him.

"I've always wondered why." As he looked at the state alchemist, Virgil felt his eyesight go blurry before it went all black.

* * *

All he could hear were two voices. They were speaking to each other in a low voice and he couldn't understand what they were saying. He didn't even know who was talking.

He blinked a few times and looked around. He knew that he was in his tent, the one he was sent to in the first day in Ishval. He knew that from his surroundings. As he thought about that, his mind drifted to what happened. Kimblee had attacked him and he thought he was going to die. How had he ended up alive?

Virgil felt his head ache and he closed his eyes. He tried to remember what Kimblee had said to him, but it was all coming in a blur. It was as if the man was muted to him when he spoke.

"You're finally awake." He turned his head to see both Joseph and Riza next to him. "We thought we were going to lose you, man."

"What-what happened?" Virgil asked them.

"Kimblee attacked you after killing those generals from what we know." Joseph explained to him. "The rest of the team arrested Kimblee and another team saved your life."

Virgil tried to think of what happened which only caused him the biggest headache he ever had. He let out a groan and bit his lip.

"Relax yourself, Virgil." He heard Riza's voice. "The medic told us to remind you to do that."

A sigh escaped his lips and he glanced around the tent. He could see that the other men didn't have any of their belongings. "Where are the others?"

"They left." Joseph explained to him. "We will be leaving tomorrow morning."

He hummed. "Kimble?" He found his voice being a little too rough, so he cleared his throat. "Where is he?"

"Probably in Central prison." His best friend responded to him. "Speaking of Central, something happened."

Virgil frowned. The first thing that came to his mind was that he was transferred somewhere else. "What?"

"It happened a year ago, we only received the news last night though." His frown deepened. "Your father is dead, he committed suicide."

Virgil didn't know how to react. He had no love for his father, he didn't have a good relationship and they hadn't talked to each other for years. It was the fact that he had killed himself that made him feel sympathetic towards his father. Had he been feeling that bad to do this to himself?

"He left nothing for you." Joseph added. He wasn't surprised by that. "Everything went to Beatrice."

Riza squinted her eyes. "Who is Beatrice?" She questioned him. "His wife?"

"My little sister." Virgil remembered that he had never mentioned Beatrice to her. He always forgot that he had a sister.

"Your half sister?" Riza pressed on.

He shook his head. "No, Beatrice is my full sister if that term exists. She was only one when my parents divorced and Hector had full custody of her."

"Don't take it personally, I didn't know he had a sister until he told me after Adrienne died." Joseph informed her and she nodded.

"I'm going to leave, but I'll come back soon." Riza spoke to him. "I have things to pack." She pointed a finger at him. "Remember that you need to relax." He gave her a small nod and she left the tent.

Joseph dragged a small chair next to his bed and glanced at him. "How do you feel?"

"It hurts like hell." He answered as he felt the pain in his abdomen surge. "Kimblee is a sick son of a bitch."

His best friend shook his head. "I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about Hector."

As much as he felt sympathy for his father, he wasn't going to cry and grieve him. He would rather grieve all the people that he killed than his father. The man didn't deserve his grieve. He had been a horrible father to him and even more horrible husband to his mother. "You know I have no love for him. I feel bad for him, that's all." He breathed out. "Seems like both of us have no biological family anymore."

Joseph flinched before he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You do have one member left. Beatrice is still out there."

"She's probably a mini Hector." He deadpanned. "She probably doesn't even know who I am. Do you think my father talked about me and my mom?" He scoffed. "He was too busy talking about himself and his career."

"She left Central." Joseph announced to him. "The report I received was that she packed her bags, took some money from the bank and disappeared."

Virgil felt relief rush through his body. "Good. I don't have to see her around Central." His best friend stayed quiet. "Do they have any idea where she was headed to?"

"None at all." He answered his question.

Joseph shifted in his seat and crossed his arms.

"There was something odd about what happened with Kimblee." Joseph pointed out. "The team who saved you said that not a single member of your team was bothering to save you."

Virgil pursued his lips. He couldn't remember what happened, yet he didn't feel surprised. The other soldiers had never liked him. He had spent most of his time alone and they had secluded him from the team. He only spent time with Kimblee from all of them. "They were probably too worried about Kimblee." He answered. "Did all the Generals die?"

"All of them. The medical examiners were thankful that they had their dog tags on because they wouldn't have been able to know who they were." Joseph cocked his head. "Kimblee messed them all up, but he purposefully didn't injure that much."

He tried to remember what the man had said to him. Again, a headache came to him and he stopped. He needed to relax. "I have no idea. Maybe Kimblee messed it up."

Deep down, Virgil knew that Kimblee never messed up. He was always precise and correct, there had been a reason for that. He just didn't want to think about it.

* * *

"The train for Central will leave in ten minutes." The conductor spoke up. The people got up from their seats and rushed to the train.

Virgil put the newspaper down as he was reading all about the Ishvalan war. Every page was about it and it seemed like every corner of the country was celebrating the end of the war. Every corner apart from Ishval again.

"You don't have to get my bags." He murmured to Joseph who shrugged him off. His best friend couldn't be bothered with him, they both knew that he was against orders to carry anything heavy. It was after all doctor's orders.

The two of them boarded up to the train and they took their seats. "It's going to be a long journey." He pointed out.

"Most train rides are." Joseph reminded him. "I can't wait to finish off the academy and actually work in the military."

Virgil hadn't given much thought about what he was going to after the academy. He had no idea with what office he was going to work with. "Where are you going to work?" He was curious about his friend's decision.

"Intelligence Office." Joseph responded. "Under the service of Captain Maes Hughes. There is a chance that he might get promoted after that. He told me that he will not let me join someone else."

In that moment, Virgil was jealous because his friend had such a good commanding officer. So good that he was taking Joseph under his wing. He had been under the command of a crazy man who had tried to kill him. How did he have such bad luck?

Virgil was sure that he needed a miracle to happen to him. The bad was outweighing the good in his life and he wished something good would happen. It had been like this since his mother passed away and he wondered what would stop it. What would be his miracle that would make his life better? Did that miracle even exist? He could hope that it did.

He didn't want to leave the fate of his life in the hands of something as uncertain as a miracle. It was just that Virgil didn't have much of a choice. He had nothing else to hope for.

"It's going to be a new journey in our lives." He spoke up making Joseph look at him. "You would have thought that it would be more scary."

Joseph pursued his lips. "Nothing can compare to Ishval. Not even paying for our own bills, cleaning or cooking our own meals."

Virgil remembered something about his best friend. "I'm definitely not letting you near a stove or an oven." He murmured. "You almost burned our houses when you tried to make a boiled egg that day."

"In my defense, it was the first time I prepared something." Joseph jumped to defend himself.

Virgil scoffed. "Bullshit. Who almost burns a kitchen while boiling an egg?" Joseph crossed his arms. "Even it's for the first time."

"How about you? Do you even clean?" His best friend pointed out. "I know for a fact that Adrienne got tired of cleaning your mess most of the time."

He knew his best friend was right. He wasn't good at cleaning and he hated it. It seemed like such a drag to him and he would rather cook ten times than cook once. His mind clicked when he noticed something.

"I can't clean and you can't cook." He stated. "How about we become roommates? I can cook, you can clean and we'll split the bills." Joseph cocked his head. "Plus, many apartments in Centrals are expensive."

Joseph cleared his throat. "We need a good apartment." He told Virgil and he knew that his best friend had just agreed with him. "We need to impress people if we want to climb the ranks?"

"Climb the ranks?" He raised an eyebrow. He didn't expect his best friend to say that, he didn't know his best friend wanted that. "Really?"

"Why not?" Joseph muttered under his breath. "I want to be known, I want to earn money and maybe even help this country become better."

Virgil snorted. "You want to become Fuhrer?"

He shook his head. "That's too much and we both know I'm not cool enough for that." Virgil nodded in agreement. "I'll probably settle with being General."

"I never believed that people could get reincarnated, but here you are acting like a younger Hector Schwartz." Joseph rolled his eyes at him. "I don't see why would you bother with that."

"A lot of factors play in this decision." His friend responded.

Virgil shrugged. He didn't agree with his friend, he didn't want to climb the ranks. He wanted to live his life. He wanted to work in the military, meet a girl, marry her someday and maybe even have kids in the future. It was a simple plan that everybody had, but he didn't care. He would rather enjoy the simplicity that life had to offer than do what he did in Ishval. He knew that he needed that.

How was he going to get that? Well, that was the million cenz question he was wondering about.

* * *

_**With this chapter, we end the Ishval war which in my opinion, is the saddest thing to happen in FMA. I know a lot of sad shit happens, but this war and the way Ishvalans were killed (not to mention why it all started) is just sad and tragic. I don't know how I wrote two of characters participate in this war and one of them kill so many people, but I somehow did. With the end of this part, we will be entering a new part of the story which I hope you all like.**_

_**ShadowHeart175: **_You will see next chapter and see how things are going on. One thing is clear and that is that Virgil is not the same person that he was. The war changed him a lot (it changed both him and Joseph) and I hope you will like the change.

_**The Last Bullet: **_Hope you enjoy this one too!

_**EnclaveRules: **_Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest!

_**Next chapter, Suits Or Tuxes**_


	11. Suits Or Tuxes?

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, ALL RIGHTS GO TO HIROMU ARAKAWA, I ONLY OWN VIRGIL, JOSEPH AND OTHERS TO COME.**_

* * *

It was just another day of work. He had driven to work with Joseph, had gone to his office, he had talked to his commanding officer, had sat on his desk and had started to do his paperwork. Work in the military was never boring, he could admit to that, but it did feel like a routine at times.

Five years had passed since the end of the war. Many things had changed with his life, one of the most significant ones was his rank. He wasn't Cadet Virgil Schwartz, he was Major Virgil Schwartz.

He heard whispers around him. They wondered how did a twenty six man had climbed the ranks so fast. What connection did he have?

None. Virgil had no connection. He had earned this promotion with all the hard work he had done. A work that he knew most people wouldn't do. He didn't understand what he had done too. It all came to the military and the duty he had. A duty that he needed to keep despite the consequences that other people had to face.

"Goodnight." He said to the other subordinates that worked with him. They were all lower rank than him and they barely talked to him. Joseph joked that they were all afraid of him and he had started to believe him.

They didn't answer him and he walked out of the office.

As he walked through the halls of the Central headquarters, his eyes landed outside the city. He had been hesitant about Central City when he had been stationed here. He had preferred the other two cities he had lived for a long time. It had taken a long time for him to get used to it. He did like the city now. It had a more lively atmosphere, the music was better, the food tasted more delicious and it rarely got boring.

It wasn't home. He doubted that anything could be home to him. South City which had been his home when he was young, had lost its appeal while East City had never been home, it was just the city that some of his friends lived in.

"What took you so long?" Joseph asked him as he walked out of the Central. "I have a date with Olivia tonight and she will get mad if I get late."

Virgil frowned. His friend had been dating Olivia Nelson who was a nurse in the hospital for almost two years and somehow to him, it seemed like they had started to date.

"Sorry." He murmured as they walked to the parking lot. "I had a lot of paperwork." He moved his hand to his pocket and pulled the envelope that he had received. "Did you get one too?"

Joseph glanced at him before pulling up the same envelope. The only difference was that it had Joseph's name. "I can't believe he has a seal with his face, including his famous mustache."

"An invitation to the annual ball of the Armstrong family." Virgil murmured as they came closer to the car.

Joseph moved to the passenger's seat while he sat in the driver's seat. "I wonder how big the mansion is. People say it's enormous."

"Really?" Virgil snorted as he turned on the engine and drove the car out of the parking lot. "That's what you're thinking about, Captain Hummel?" His best friend rolled his eyes. "I heard that he has four sisters. I'm curious to know how they look and what kind of people they are."

"You've never heard about the Northern Wall of Briggs? The Ice Queen?" Joseph questioned him.

Virgil nodded his head. "Of course, I have. Everyone speaks highly of the Ice Queen up North." He responded. He couldn't help, but feel as if his best friend was underestimating.

"She's Olivier Armstrong, the oldest of the Armstrong children and probably the heir." Joseph explained to him.

He didn't even know how he excepted to know from himself to know more information than Joseph. It was his friend's job to have information. He was so good that he had been promoted to Captain without the need to spill blood.

"I don't think she'll be there." Joseph continued. "The Briggs needs her rule, especially with Drachma being so silent and suspicious."

Virgil frowned. "We're at peace with Drachma." He stated. "Unlike with other surroundings countries." He gulped down and gripped the wheel tighter. His knuckles started to turn white. "Right?"

Joseph cleared his throat. "We have no reason to trust Drachma. They have tried to attack us before and the North is always in the outlook for spies."

He took a deep breath and looked ahead. Was this going to stop? Or was Amestris always going to be at war? It didn't matter if it was inside the country or outside, Amestris would always be shedding bloodshed.

Virgil would be the one to do that. He wasn't even bothering to think otherwise. In the past few years, the military and its high command were always putting him on the front. Always.

"Why do all of our conversations end up so depressed?" Joseph questioned. "It always ends up with war and conflicts." He looked outside the window and shook his head."

"Because that's all we know, Joseph." He answered his best friend. "That's all we know about this world." He looked at the streets and saw people walking up and down.

He wished that he could be one of them. It was a wish that he knew would always live with him no matter what happened to him.

As his blue eyes moved to the road ahead, they glanced at the rearview mirror. What he saw wasn't the blue eyed man with black hair that most people saw, what he saw was a monster in disguise.

* * *

"How did the date go?" Virgil asked his best friend as the tailor was fitting his suit. The ball was tomorrow and they were tailoring their outfits for it. He knew that he had to look good as he didn't want to embarrass the military to the biggest donors. He needed to impress people.

"Good." Joseph answered as he looked through some bow ties. "She acted a little weird at the beginning, but she was fine for the rest of the night."

Virgil scoffed. "Fine?" His friend nodded. "Fine is never good. Her telling you that she hates you is better than fine. Did she say that she was fine?"

Joseph crossed his arms and sighed. "Yes, she did."

Virgil knew that this meant trouble. He had been in a few relationships in his life and someone being fine was never good. It just told him that it was everything, but fine.

"Why are you making it such a big deal?" Joseph wondered as he looked in the mirror. "She was excited to be my plus one on the ball."

Virgil frowned. "Are we supposed to do that?" He didn't feel like bringing a date to the ball, he would much prefer to go alone. His dating life the past few years had been on and off. He had a few girlfriends, but nothing serious. Nothing that the books would write about like Rebecca said.

"If we want to." Joseph turned to him and chuckled. "Did you open the invitation?"

"Of course, I did." He glanced up at his friend's outfit. "Why are you trying on tuxes? Suits are better." He pointed to the suit.

"Tuxes are more appropriate for balls." Joseph corrected him and the tailor hummed in agreement. "See? Even Nolan agrees with me."

Virgil frowned. How did Joseph even know the tailor's name? The man decided not to ask as he didn't want to hear Joseph going to a rant. "I just think suits fit better." He cocked his head. "Especially the ones with black ties."

"You are really going all black?" Joseph questioned him.

"It matches how I feel." Virgil joked as Nolan was finished tailoring his suit. "Suits are still better."

"We're all entitled to our opinions." Joseph tutted as he picked up a dark green bow tie to match his eyes.

Virgil stepped closer to the mirror. "You're right." He muttered. "We're all entitled to our wrong opinions."

He didn't get an answer as he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked good, he thought. The black suit was tailored to perfection and it made him look better than usual.

Maybe the suit could help him hide more underneath what he really was.

The smack that he got to the back of his head made him snap out of his thoughts. "Hey!" He rubbed his head.

Joseph who had been the one to hit him, spoke. "Stop being cheeky." He mimicked his best friend. "We need to leave soon. The lunch break will be over soon."

Virgil didn't need to be told twice. General Raven hated tardiness and Virgil had already gotten two strikes already. The third would get him in a lot of trouble.

Less than ten minutes, they were out of the shop. They were going to pick up their outfits after they were done being tailored.

"Tuxes are better, Virgil. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes told me to wear them because they are more fancy and more appropriate for balls." Joseph explained to him. "You know well that the man is never wrong."

Virgil hummed. He liked Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. He was a friendly man who always had a smile on his face and made everyone's mood better. Sure, he could get annoying sometimes when he shoved pictures of his family on their faces, but he was a good man. Plus, he had a great family and Virgil would have done the same if he had one.

He gulped down and glanced to his friend who was looking at the street. "Just admit that you want to look fancy."

Joseph stayed silent before he turned to Virgil and gave him a grin. "I do have to impress a woman, don't I?" He stopped in his tracks and looked at the newspapers nearby them. "Wait a minute." He picked up a newspaper and walked inside the store to buy it.

Virgil had no idea why his friend had been so interested to buy the newspaper, more so when he remembered that they needed to be in the office soon.

"What is it?" He asked as Joseph stepped out of the store.

"The founder of the Church of Leto is a sham." Joseph spoke up as he read the newspaper. The two of them began to walk together. "Father Cornello of the city of Liore for years, has been known as the messenger of God, but only a few days ago, it was proven that it was a lie by a State Alchemist called Edward Elric known as the Fullmetal Alchemist."

Virgil groaned. "I ultimately feel bad for myself when the Fullmetal Alchemist is mentioned." He shook his head. "He's fifteen, now? And yet he is an Alchemist while I couldn't draw a circle at eighteen."

"He's very impressive for a boy at fifteen." Joseph muttered. "I was a mess at fifteen."

"You're a mess at twenty six." Virgil pointed out to him. His friend turned his head away and focused his attention to the newspaper. "We both are." He added as he thought that he crossed the line with that comment.

"The Eastern command sent forces to Liore and they have been keeping the city under-" Virgil cut Joseph off and grabbed the newspaper out of his hands. "Hey!"

He read it and frowned. "I don't understand." He muttered under his breath. "It says here that General Grumman and Colonel Mustang sent forces in Liore, but we are sending our own forces in two days."

"Why? It says that they are keeping the city under control." Joseph pointed out to him.

Virgil shook his head. "They were direct orders from the Fuhrer." He gulped down. "Maybe he doesn't like what the Eastern command is doing."

* * *

Virgil laughed at one of the lamest jokes he had ever heard. It wasn't just lame, it was pathetic. Yet he laughed, maybe one of the fakest laughs he had ever done. It was just that he needed to impress all of these people even this man who thought himself funny.

It didn't help that the man's wife kept checking him out and giving Virgil smiles that he knew too well what they meant. It bothered him that she was doing it in front of her husband.

The whole ordeal was making him comfortable. In fact, the whole ball was. It wasn't as if it was the first time Virgil had been to balls, he had attended a few as a little kid when his grandmother threw them. He had loved those as people didn't bother to talk to him and all he did was eat. This time everyone expected him to talk, dance, make people give out big donations and laugh at every stupid joke.

His eyes glanced around to see if he could find Joseph with his girlfriend anywhere, but it seemed like his best friend had disappeared out of nowhere.

"If you'll excuse me," Virgil found an excuse to leave. "I have to go to the bathroom." The couple stared at him first and he thought that he had said something wrong. He should have gone for another excuse.

The man threw his head back and laughed. "You are a funny man." He told Virgil. "You remind me of your own father." He tried his best not to flinch at the comment. While the military didn't compare him to his father anymore, it seemed like the higher class of Amestris did.

Virgil didn't stay long and soon, was out of the ballroom. He needed to be alone just for two minutes and he could go back to faking smiles and laughter.

The Armstrong mansion was huge. It could rival only one building in the city and that was the Central command. Although, the decoration of the halls and the rooms of the house definitely won over the plain interior of the military.

His feet took him where they wanted to as he looked at the portraits of the family members during different generations. Armstrongs were proud of their rich history. They had been in Amestris since the founding of the state and had been always considered the richest family around here.

The Schwartz family had a rich history too. They had always been on top of their game in military and every member had become a General during their career. He knew that was expected of him too, but Virgil had no dreams of becoming a General. He liked his position as a Major and he hoped he could keep it until the end of his career.

As he was walking through the halls, he heard a faint noise coming from one of the rooms. He frowned when he realized it was music.

He stepped towards the room and listened to it closely. He could tell that someone was playing the piano. Someone who was very talented and knew what they were doing.

The way the person was playing the piano made his heart flutter and his body relax. The sound of it made him think for a split second that he had gone to heaven, although that would never be possible from him.

When the music stopped, he found himself back to Earth. His shoulders tensed and he felt that discomfort that had been following him around all night come back. Those two minutes where he heard the piano had been the best ones of these past few years. Those two minutes had taken all the guilt that he felt and all the pain that he lived with.

Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the door of the room. It was a big room surrounded by instruments all around it. He widened his eyes as he looked around. It was quite impressive how many they were. The one that got his attention was the grand piano that was placed in the middle of the room. From the corner of his eye, he could someone sitting on the stool.

He took a step towards and came face to face with a woman. His heart skipped a beat and he gulped down at the sight of her. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. Her long blonde hair came to her waist and her blue eyes shined throughout the room because of the light. She had a small heart shaped face that had become crimson which to him made her seem more endearing. What got his attention the most was a strand of hair that fell on her forehead. It told him that she was an Armstrong as Alex Armstrong had it too.

As soon as her eyes met his, she turned her head away and he could see her blush even more. He noticed her grip something under the piano and he held out his hand.

"I'm-I'm sorry." Virgil stuttered as he was still taken back from her. "I was trying to take fresh air, got lost and heard you playing the piano." He took a deep breath. The woman had yet to turn and look at him. "You are really good and I couldn't help, but see who was playing."

The blonde woman turned her head. She kept her eyes down and tried her best not to look at him. "You really liked it?"

"Yeah." Virgil responded. "And I've never been the one to listen to classical musical." Her eyes glanced at him for one second before they moved down again. "My name is Virgil. Virgil Schwartz."

Finally, the blonde woman looked at him. She gave him a small smile that made his knees weak. "Catherine. My name is Catherine Armstrong."

* * *

"I didn't find him." Joseph announced when he stepped out of the balcony. He had been in the ballroom to get drinks for them and talk to Virgil. His best friend had probably disappeared somewhere.

Olivia who was wearing a floor length black dress turned to look at him. When he had first seen her, he had been taken aback by her beauty. She always seemed beautiful to him, but this time, she had outdone herself.

"Here." He handed her the drink and she gave him a smile. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Olivia sipped her drink. "I did think it would be more fun." She admitted. "It's quite boring."

"I guess." He snorted as his gaze drifted away from her. "I'm sorry for not dancing with you. I'm a terrible dancer and I would have just embarrassed both of us."

Olivia let out a sigh and shook her head. He knew that whatever was coming wasn't going to be great. She turned to look at him and he prepared himself for it. He could take another fight, he was used to it.

"I think we should break up."

His eyes widened at her words. That was the last thing on his mind, he would never have thought she was going to say. He didn't find a reason why they should break up.

"Break-break up? Why?" He stumbled with the question.

"Because our relationship hasn't been going anywhere this past year." Olivia reminded him. "We have been dating for two years. While the first year was great, the second one was just awful. We have been stagnant since."

Joseph shook his head. "Being stagnant for awhile is something that happens to every couple." He pointed out to her and crossed his arms. "What is the real reason?"

"There are more." Olivia admitted as she took a step towards him. "But that is one of them." He waited for her to tell the others. "We have been dating for two years and I don't love you." He bit his lip at that and held his breath. "I like you very much and our first year was one of the best years of my life. I know you feel the same, I know you don't see a future with us together and I know you feel like this relationship wasn't going anywhere."

It was true. He did like Olivia a lot and occasionally had fun with her, it was just that he never felt like he was in love with her, like he wanted to live the rest of his life with her. She was just the perfect woman, the perfect woman that you would want by your side when you would climb the ranks of the military.

"Things haven't been good since that night."

He shuddered at her words. He knew what she was talking about. The memory of that night still haunted him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He had apologized a thousand times and it still didn't matter. She had been scared and since that day, she had looked at him differently.

Olivia shook her head. "You didn't scare me, Joseph." She whispered. "You just reminded me that you have a lot of baggage."

"Baggage?" He questioned her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"So many things have happened to you and you still have the scars of it." She told him. He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't need to be reminded of them, he was trying his best to forget them. "I don't know what that nightmare was about because you refused and still do to talk about it. I just know there are so many things that could have been involved in the nightmare, so much baggage. Something that I can't handle."

Joseph stared out in the distance. He couldn't believe that this was happening or where it was happening. She could have broken up with him on their date a few days ago. He didn't understand why she didn't.

"I understand." He muttered under his breath. "It was good to know you, Liv." He turned to face her and gave her a smile. "It was a good year out of two."

Olivia pressed her lips together. "I don't want to break your heart."

"You aren't." Joseph answered. It was true, she wasn't breaking his heart. She was reminding him that it wouldn't have worked as much as he wanted to. She was the right woman to be with when you climb the ranks, she just wasn't the right woman for him. "It's okay, Liv." He could see tears starting to fill her eyes. "It's going to be alright for both of us."

He knew that she would find someone and move on. He just wasn't sure about himself. He did have a lot of baggage, after all.

"I hope you find someone who can handle it all." Olivia muttered to him before leaning to kiss his right cheek. "Goodbye, Joseph."

Joseph furrowed his eyebrows. "You don't want me to drive you home?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll get a car." She told him and he hummed.

"Goodbye, Liv." She only nodded her head and handed him the glass of champagne she had gotten for him. After that, she turned her back and walked away.

Joseph stared at the glass of champagne for a few minutes. A two year relationship had just ended and he didn't feel anything. He was just empty and kept thinking on how it lasted this long. Since that night when he had that horrible dream, him and Olivia were done for. He didn't know what he should have expected out of their relationship. It was doomed as soon as he started to think of her as the woman to be by his side when he climbed the ranks.

He raised the glass and downed it all. He sighed before doing that with his own drink. At least, he could feel better while drinking.

* * *

Virgil turned his head when he saw Joseph narrowing his eyes at him. "What is up with you?"

"Is there a problem?" He wondered as Joseph turned the car on.

"Yes, you are smiling like an idiot." He replied. "Where have you been?"

He sighed. He had started the night on the wrong foot, everything changed when he stepped into that room and met Catherine. All of her had taken him by surprise, but it was a good surprise. Better than any other he had experienced.

"I met a woman." He confessed to his friend before shaking his head. "She was incredible."

Joseph snorted. "Who is this mysterious woman?" He hit the pedal and the car began to move.

"Catherine Armstrong." He responded as he relaxed his body.

"Armstrong?" Joseph repeated.

"Yes." He could care less about the last name and what it meant. During their talk, all he could think about her was her and only her. "She was shy, very shy, but then she began to talk and she was lovely. I asked her for her phone number and she gave it to me. Before I left, she told me that she wanted to see me again."

"I'm happy for you." Joseph told him as he drove them out of Armstrong estate's gates. "You have been all sad and gloomy these past few years and I'm glad that you meet someone who can change that."

Virgil gulped down. "I think I'll always be sad and gloomy."

"Maybe with Catherine, you'll be less." His best friend pointed out and Virgil shrugged. It could happen, it was possible. Everything about her made him feel different, happier and he had only just met her. "I haven't seen you smile like this in a long time. It was probably on my seventeenth birthday."

Virgil remembered that night. It was maybe the best night of his life before tonight happened. He sounded like a person who had read too many romance novels, but he finally understood them. He finally understood what they talked about in the novels. It had taken him years, but he did.

As he thought about it, he noticed that someone was missing in the car. "Where is Olivia?"

"We broke up." The news made him snap out of his bubble. He raised an eyebrow. "Well, she broke up with me."

"Why?" Virgil asked. It didn't seem like a surprise to him, the two of them had been distance towards each other. It was just the place where they decided to break up.

Joseph puckered his lips and let out a sigh. "We just didn't have a future." He responded. "She thought I had a lot of baggage."

"Baggage?" He creased his eyebrows. "What does that mean?"

"It doesn't matter." He waved them off. "Tell me how you met her."

Virgil smiled again. "I got out of the ballroom because some of those people are too much." He started to say as Joseph took a turn. "I wanted to take fresh air and found myself getting lost. I heard someone playing the piano and let me tell you, it was the best thing I have ever heard in my life."

"Catherine was playing, right?" He nodded in answer. "Then what happened?"

"I entered the room and saw her." Virgil responded. "She is very small, but beautiful. The most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life."

"How old is she?" Joseph asked him.

"She told me that she was twenty two." He answered his best friend. "She's studying music at the university and it's hoping to be a concert pianist."

Joseph hummed. "When are you meeting her?"

"As soon as I can." He responded. He hoped that he wouldn't have much paperwork to do on Friday and he could meet Catherine on the weekend. Of course, if she agreed. "I hope this goes well. She might be my first serious relationship since Angela."

He could see his friend was about to say something, but he never did. Instead, he stopped the car without warning Virgil. He almost slammed his head against the window. "What the fuck, Joseph? Why did you stop the car?"

"Do you have your gun with you?" At Joseph's question, he looked up.

In the middle of the street was laying someone. Someone that was covered in blood.

Virgil got his gun that he hid under the seat and Joseph took his too. The two of them left the car and held their guns. They looked around to see if anyone was near, but the street was empty. He frowned when he saw that someone had built a fortress in the middle of the street. He immediately knew that alchemists were involved in this situation.

As they came closer to the bod, he noticed the blue uniform of the military. "It's one of us." He informed Joseph who had yet to notice. His eyes landed on the shoulders of the man and saw that he was a Brigadier General. This was bigger than he initially thought.

He noticed the mustache and the bald head of the man. It didn't take him long to realize who it was. "It's Brigadier General Grand."

"What?!" Joseph exclaimed as he took a step closer to the man. He knelt down and felt for a pulse. "He's dead."

Virgil's eyes wandered around the street whoever had killed the Iron Blood Alchemist was more powerful than him and Joseph could take. Basque Grand was not a man you could easily defeat, he was one of the best State Alchemists they had.

"I'm going to call the military." Joseph announced before he went out to look for the nearest phone booth.

He on the other hand, raised his gun and kept his eyes on the street. The person who had killed Basque Grand was dangerous and had the ability to do a lot more destruction than anyone could. The alchemist's face showed that.

* * *

_**As you can see, I did a timeskip. I always felt like it made more sense in the story, especially for Virgil's arc (He didn't climb the ranks of the military by sitting around, let me tell you that). You can see it starts around where the manga does by the mention of Father Cornello and the death of Basque Grand. I hope you liked the timeskip and the chapter, hopefully, you will like what I have planned too.**_

_**ShadowHeart175: **_I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you enjoy the next ones to come. You did guess right about the timeskip and the big change on Virgil. He isn't the same person we got introduced to.

_**The Last Bullet: **_I'm glad that you found it a good chapter. Hopefully, you find this one grest.

_**Next chapter, Faces Of The Past ( one of my favorite chapters I have ever written)**_


	12. Faces Of The Past

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

It had been a long time since Virgil had been in East City. He could remember the day clearly. Him and Joseph had arrived from Ishval and were going to take the train taking them to Central City. He remembered that he didn't want to go back to the city at all because it reminded him of old academy military days. While he had made valuable friendships over there, they all seem ruined because of what military did to him. He would never have thought that they were training him to be a monster, a killing machine.

"This is-is just horrible." Joseph muttered as he was reading the report that they were given. "What kind of monster does that?"

Virgil glanced at his best friend ad extended his hand. He wanted to know what Shou Tucker really had done. After all, only a monster could judge another monster.

When he was handed the report, he didn't expect to see what he saw. Shou Tucker was a monster, a different kind of monster than him, but one nonetheless. His eyes blinked as he read what he did to his daughter and family dog just to continue being an alchemist. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that he had done the same to his wife a few years ago.

It was horrifying and Virgil hoped that the man got what he deserved. It was his daughter and the dog that crushed his heart, you could never return a chimera back to what they were. The chimera was going to be studied by other alchemists in Central, he knew that well.

"When Roy told me," Lieutenant Colonel Hughes began to say. "I was just shell-shocked. What kind of a father does that to his own daughter?"

"An evil man." Major Armstrong who was in the same compartment with them, spoke up. Virgil directed his attention to the report as he remembered that the man was fully aware of his dates with Catherine. He wished that he didn't make it a formal announcement like he did with most things. "It's good that he will be having a trial and justice will be served to him."

Virgil's eyes squinted. "What about his daughter? It says here that Nina is her name." He stated looking up from the report. "Will she get justice she deserves? Her and the dog."

Hughes sighed as he turned to look at him. "The only justice they can get is a painless death." Virgil's lips curled at the answer. "There is not much of a choice." He hated what the man was saying. He had a lot of respect for Lt. Colonel Hughes, but this wasn't what he wanted to hear. Why couldn't he ever hear someone get justice?

He handed the report back to Joseph and looked at the window. Rain had been pouring since the train drove in the eastern area of Amestris and it seemed like it was getting worse with every mile they came closer to East City. He didn't mind the rain, especially since it fitted all of their moods for the day.

"I do understand the man who has been targeting alchemist." Joseph stated making everyone turn to him. "Alchemists like Shou Tucker deserve what Scar is doing to them."

Scar was the man that had been targeting and killing state alchemists. The man's name came from some eyewitnesses saying that he had a big scar on his forehead and since his identity was a mystery to the military, he was called Scar. He was a restless person when it came to his killing as State Alchemists were dropping dead day by day. The only thing that no one understood why was he targeting State Alchemists. Why was he so focused on them rather than all the military?

Virgil knew that State Alchemists were called the dog of the military. They unleashed their terror wherever and whenever the military commanded it. Ishval was one of the best proofs of the power that alchemists had. The only thing that was stuck in his mind was that State Alchemists weren't the only ones to unleash terror, other military officials did too. He had been one of them.

"He has been silent these past few days in Central City." Hughes commented as he rubbed his chin. "Do you think he changed location?"

Virgil frowned. "Maybe he got injured." He didn't want to think that Scar had escaped them. If he did, they were in more trouble than before. "There's no way he can leave Central with all of the security placed around the city."

"There's always a way, Major Schwartz." Major Armstrong stated. "There's a chance that he has left Central to look for other alchemists."

Virgil sighed and shook his head. Finding Scar in Amestris was going to be a hard job. He had been ordered to find the man by General Raven, but if he had left, his job was going to turn into a nightmare. He would have to look in every corner of Amestris if Raven made him do so.

Silence fell between the four of them and his eyes met Joseph. The image of dead Basque Grand had proven hard to leave the memory. He didn't know whether it was the condition of his face or the fact that such a strong alchemist like Basque Grand had been defeated that was making this so hard, but he knew for a fact that Scar wasn't the man to be underestimated.

"I know what can exactly lift our moods right now." Lt. Colonel Hughes beamed. Virgil frowned and so did Major Armstrong while Joseph let out an exasperated sigh. "A few pictures of my daughter, Elicia!"

Virgil snorted as he didn't know what he should have expected else from the man. It was rare for Maes Hughes not to show you a picture of his family and brag about them. He would never miss the opportunity to talk about them and Virgil should have thought about that earlier.

"She's turning three in a few weeks." Hughes informed as he got his pictures out. "Isn't she adorable?!" He shoved the photo up Virgil's face making the man back down to his seat. At least, the trip to East City was going to be as boring as he thought it would be.

* * *

Virgil opened the umbrella he was holding as soon as he stepped out of the car. He noticed a few military officials around the house of Shou Tucker. Too many military officials, he concluded.

"Joseph." He called his friend who stepped out of the car after him. "Are there supposed to be so many people?"

Joseph frowned as he looked at the scene in front of them. "Definitely not." The two of them walked towards the military officials and stopped in front of a young man with dark hair. He looked a bit young to be in the military, but Virgil decided not to comment on it. As soon as he saw them, he stood straight and saluted at them.

"Major." The young man nodded at him. "Captain." He gave a nod to his friend. "There has been a mass murder here."

"Mass murder?" Virgil repeated. When he turned his head, he saw two bodies covered in white sheets. "What happened?"

"We don't know yet, sir." The man responded. "The victims were two military officials who were guarding the door, Shou Tucker and…" He hesitated. "The chimera that was created by him."

"Do you know the cause of murder, Master Sergeant?" Joseph asked him as he kept his eyes on the two bodies.

The young man shook his head. "We don't know yet, sir." He answered. "Their faces are all disfigured and we might think that the murderer damaged their brains." When he heard the man's words, he didn't hesitate to walk towards the two bodies. He crouched down and lifted up the sheets.

He winced at the sight of the two soldiers. There was no mistaken on who had killed them. He had seen the man's work a few times and these men were one of his victims.

"Him?" Joseph asked as he got up to his feet.

"Him." Virgil informed him. It seemed Scar had really left Central City and had come to give the alchemists in East City a taste of his powers.

Joseph shook his head. "I'm going to inform Lt. Colonel Hughes and Major Armstrong."

"I'm going to go inside." Virgil told him and he turned his heel to the entrance of the house. He closed the umbrella and stepped into the house. He could hear the other soldiers talking about him.

"Is that Virgil Schwartz?" He heard someone whisper.

"Major Virgil Schwartz now." Another soldier spoke as he walked around the house. His eyes landed on the picture of Shou Tucker and his daughter. "He's climbing up the ranks fast."

Virgil ignored them as he tilted his head. Father and daughter looked so happy in the picture and yet he had done such a horrible thing to her. He was really a monster, a monster to rival him.

"Of course, he has been climbing up the ranks fast." A gruff voice said. "He has impressed the whole military with what he did in the western border."

A shiver ran down his spine and he walked towards a man who was by the stairs. "Where are the two other bodies?" He asked.

"Upstairs, sir." He answered. "Colonel Mustang is looking at them."

He climbed up the stairs as he felt a rush of excitement. He knew who was by the side of Colonel Mustang at all times. He had missed her and he would have wanted for them to reunite in better circumstances. He hadn't seen her since Ishval, although they kept contact with letters and phone calls every few weeks.

Virgil stepped on the floor and looked around to see if he could find the familiar blonde hair. He remembered her telling him that she had grown them over the years, so he was in lookout for that. His eyes scanned the floor and a few rooms, she was nowhere to be found.

"Looking for someone, Major Schwartz?" A mocking voice spoke up and he had a guess who it belonged to. He had never talked to the man, but he knew a lot about him. After all, he was one of the most powerful alchemists in Amestris and not to mention, the youngest Colonel in the history of it.

Virgil turned to face the man. He was shorter than Virgil, but still a tall man. He had black hair that fell to his eyes and black eyes as well. He knew well that the appearance of Roy Mustang made people question if he was an Amestrian or a Xingese.

Even though, Virgil was shorter than the man, the look he was giving to Virgil made him feel smaller to him. "I was looking for you, Colonel." He saluted the man

"You were?" There was disbelief in his voice as he took a step closer.

"Yes, I was." He lied through his teeth. "I wanted you to show me the two other bodies."

Colonel Mustang studied him which made Virgil want to crawl out of his skin. He stood there as he knew he had no other choice. "Where is Hughes?"

"Roy!" The man made himself known before Virgil could respond. Mustang turned his attention to Hughes and the other two. With that, he sighed in relief. After Joseph introduced himself to Mustang, he moved next to him.

"What's up with you?" Joseph wondered. "You look like you have seen a ghost."

Virgil gave him a smile. "Mustang hates me." He said while trying to keep his smile. "I don't know why, but he hates me." He noticed the Colonel and the two other military officials enter a room. His body relaxed. "Why would he hate me?"

"Because everyone hates men who are Majors at the age of twenty six." Joseph guessed making Virgil scoff.

"He's the youngest Colonel in the history of the military." Virgil stated. "He is a hypocrite if he does hate me."

Joseph snorted. "Maybe it's because his wary to unfamiliar faces. Or that he feels the needs as a higher official to make you seem less." He guessed. "He wasn't friendly with me either."

Virgil shrugged. It could be it as most higher officials treated people who were lower like scum. Roy Mustang could be just like the other high officials personnel of the Military. He was about to enter the room when he finally saw the person he had been looking for.

"Riza!" He called the blonde woman and walked up to her.

She looked at him, but showed no sign of happiness or that she recognized him. "Virgil." She muttered under her breath. There was no doubt that Riza had changed. She had always been quiet and observant, but there was something else that Virgil couldn't pinpoint. "They warned me that you'll be here."

Virgil scoffed. "Warn you?" She gave him a nod. "What am I a bomb?"

"You do have some qualities similar to a bomb." Riza pointed out. He could feel the eyes of other people on them. He had been so used to being looked at by other people that he brushed it off with ease.

"Well, a few past girlfriends of mine did tell me that my body is the bomb." Riza rolled his eyes at her. "Seems like you have missed me a lot."

Her brown eyes met his blue eyes. "Is it that obvious?"

Virgil was about to respond to her, but the voice of Colonel Mustang stopped him. "Hey!" He called for a military policeman. "Confirm if the Elric brothers are still at the inn. Immediately!"

He felt Riza next to him tense at the words of her commanding official. "Colonel!" Mustang turned to look at the two of them. His eyes settled on the two of them and Virgil could have sworn that they narrowed. "I met them when I left headquarters. I saw them walk the main road from here."

Virgil felt his body freeze at Riza's words. The Elric brothers were two young boys and one of them was a State Alchemist which meant that they were targets of Scars. He sighed and he knew he had to find the man.

"At a time like this." Mustang muttered. "Bring out the cars! All those who can, head to the vicinity of the main road!"

"We have to do this as fast as we could." Virgil announced. "Scar doesn't hesitate even with boys." With that, he walked down the stairs. He could feel the eyes of everyone on him.

* * *

The first thing Virgil noticed when they found the people they were looking for was that Scar was about to kill Edward Elric, a fifteen year old boy was on his knees, whose automail was ruined and who seemed defeated. Scar was about to put his hand on as a young boy screamed for him to stop. Virgil couldn't see the other boy and he guessed he was behind the building.

Scar stopped moving his head when Mustang put his gun in the air and fired a shot. Virgil pulled his gun close and pointed at the notorious murder who was going after a child.

"That's as far as you go." Colonel Mustang announced to the man.

Virgil gave Scar a good look. He was a tall man with white hair and brown skin. He had an orange jacket on and dark glasses that covered his eyes. The X shaped scar on his forehead was as visibles as witnesses said. Something about his appearance made Virgil's stomach churn. Why was it familiar?

"That was a close call, Fullmetal." His eyes landed on Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. All he could see was a boy with golden hair and golden eyes. He was small and looked like he didn't belong here, he looked like he belonged somewhere safe. He wasn't a soldier of the military, he was just a boy in difficult circumstances.

"Colonel, this guy…" The Fullmetal Alchemist began to speak, but he trailed off. He needed treatment, medical treatment as fast as he could.

"That man is a suspect for the serial murders of national alchemist." Mustang informed the boy as they all stared at Scar who remained unmoving. "But there's no doubt about it after taking a look at the present situation. So, you're also behind the murders at the Tuckers residence?"

Virgil gulped down as rain fell down his eyes. He saw as the Fullmetal Alchemist's eyes widened and he stared at Scar in shock. He had read the report and had seen that the Elric brothers had been the ones to find out about what Shou Tucker did to Nina and the dog.

Scar turned his attention away from the boy and focused it on them. "Alchemists are those who twist the natural state of creation to degenerate form… That is in short, sacrilege to our creator, God."

Virgil groaned to himself. "Please, don't tell me that he's killing people in the name of God." He murmured.

"As the messengers of God, we are those that carry out God's judgement." Scar answered what Virgil had been wondering.

"Oh for fuck's sake, he's doing this in the name of God." He muttered to himself. Joseph who was next to him, shushed him.

"That's something I don't understand." Mustang spoke up making Virgil turn his attention to him. "There are many alchemists, but why are you only targeting those that have national licenses?"

Scar turned to face the Colonel. His glasses covered up the color of his eyes which was something that Virgil wanted to see. He blamed it on his curiosity, but his gut was to do everything to see what color they were. "No matter what, if you intend to interfere, I will eliminate you too."

"Interesting." Mustang mused. He threw his gun at Riza's and got his gloves out. She called his name, but he ignored her. "Don't lay a finger on him." From the corner of his eyes, Virgil noticed Scar tense at the name of the Colonel.

"Mustang…" He trailed off. "As in the State Alchemist?"

The Flame Alchemist walked up to him and put on his gloves. Virgil had heard many people talk about the ability of the Colonel, he had seen the burned corpses and had smelt them. He had never seen the man's ability and a part of him, was eager to see it. He was eager to know why he was called the most powerful alchemist.

"Indeed! Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist!" Mustang told the man who was killing State Alchemist.

Scar started to run towards the alchemist and Virgil prepared his gun to shoot if something happened. ""For one that turns against God to come in person to receive judgement...Today is a good day!"

"I'm going to kill him." Virgil muttered getting annoyed by Scar.

Mustang extended his head ready to attack the man. "YOU KNOW THAT I AM FLAME ALCHEMIST AND YET YOU DARE TO FIGHT ME! YOU FOOL!"

Before Roy Mustang could snap his fingers, Riza ran towards him, kicked his leg and made the man fall down. Scar's palm almost touched the Colonel's forehead, but Riza had saved his life. The woman pointed the two guns she was holding and shot Scar. He dodged all the bullets and went to hide behind one of the buildings.

"That was impressive." Joseph commented. "We definitely don't have that happening in Central."

Virgil nodded in agreement as his eyes went to Riza. Why did she stop Mustang finishing off Scar?

"Hey!" Mustang exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You're worthless when it's raining." Riza responded to her commanding officer. "Please, stay back, Colonel!"

Virgil frowned as he didn't understand why he had gone after Scar when it was clearly raining. His frown deepened at the fact that Riza seemed like she was used to doing this when it came to the Colonel.

"Oh, yeah." A blond man mused next to them. "When it's as wet as this, you can't make a spark." The Colonel bowed his head and began muttering something Riza couldn't understand.

He felt like the alchemists present weren't able to do anything. It was his job to get Scar and he was going to do his job. After all, that was what Virgil Schwartz was known for. He finished every job someone gave him. He was about to run towards the man, but Joseph gripped his arm.

"Let me go." He tried to move away from the grip.

Joseph shook his head. "It's not a battle you can win." He told Virgil something that he already knew. There was no way he could take someone like Scar alone.

"And in addition to you coming here, it's nice how you can't use your flame." Scar spoke to the Flame Alchemist who was still on the ground. "State Alchemists and those who are obstacles to my mission!" Scar's voice went an octave higher as he directed his words to all of them. "I WILL ANNIHILATE EVERYONE HERE!"

"That's a use of annihilate that I haven't heard before." Virgil muttered as he looked at the murderer.

"Then try to." A familiar voice announced and before Virgil cold react, he saw Major Armstrong threw a punch towards Scar. The man dodged it which led to Armstrong forming a hole on the wall that Scar had been leaning.

"Reinforcements!" Virgil heard Scar say to himself.

A hum came from the big alchemist. "To be able to dodge my attacks means that you are quite good, quite good." Armstrong started to say as one of Mustang's men moved towards the Fullmetal Alchemist. "Oh, you fiend who commits wrongs against the nation. You said that you would annihilate everyone here? How absurd!"

"Why is everyone spitting a monologue here?" Joseph questioned making Virgil shrug. He didn't understand why they weren't finishing the job already.

"THEN FIRST!" Armstrong's booming voice rang through the street. "BEST ME IN COMBAT!" He spoke to car who was looking at him. "I, the Strong Arm Alchemist, Alex Louis Armstrong!"

"When do you think he's going to take off his shirt?" Joseph whispered to him.

Virgil glanced at him before he let out a sigh. "Soon."

Armstrong threw a block of the wall up the air. "So, I see you will not withdraw. Very well. Then I will respect your courage!" He moved his arm. "By showing you the alchemy passed down to generation after generation of the Armstrongs!" His fist came to contact with the block of wall and it suddenly turned to an arrow. The arrow went flying towards Scar, the man dodged it, although it had been close to hitting his face.

When Armstrong saw that he had dodged his attack, he slammed his fit on the ground. The ground rose up and spikes were formed. The spikes followed Scar ripping off the jacket that he had been wearing.

"Major Armstrong, please, don't destroy too much of the city." Mustang's man that had helped Edward Elric stand on his feet, told the alchemist.

"What did you say?!" The Major raised his voice. "Behind destruction, there lies creation! Behind creation, there lies destruction! Destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin."

Virgil breathed out. "He's going to take off his shirt now."

"DESTROY AND CREATE!" Major yelled ripping his shirt off. "FOR THIS IS THE LAW OF THE UNIVERSE!"

The whole Eastern command stared at the man. They were baffled as to why he had taken the shirt while Virgil, Joseph and their men were used with the antics of Alex Louis Armstrong.

"As an alchemist, you wouldn't think it was powerful." Scar slouched his shoulders as he looked at Armstrong. "Isn't that right, Scar?"

Everyone from the Eastern command were shocked with the news that the man had just given. They had known for awhile that the man who was targeting alchemists was an alchemist himself. He had faced too many powerful people to kill them that easily. Although, they had no specific reason how the man's powers worked as they hadn't seen it. To be honest, Virgil wouldn't know either way. Alchemy was an ability that he never could fully grasp.

"If you break them up, the three major parts of transmutation are knowledge, deconstruction and recreation." Armstrong explained as he was ready to attack Scar again.

"Ah ha." Mustang who had gotten up to his feet, said. "So that guy is stopping transmutation by suing the second part of alchemy, destruction." He spoke to himself and the people around him.

"He's also an Alchemist." The blonde man who was under Mustang's command, voiced out all of their thoughts. "So, isn't he the one that's defying God just like he said before?"

Virgil gulped down as he glanced at the fight before him. Scar was not only powerful, he was quick too. Not as quick as Virgil himself, but quick enough to dodge bullets and attack from alchemists. "Yes." Mustang remarked. "And the one he's targeting are always have national licences. Just what is he?"

"A hypocrite." Virgil answered him making Mustang and his man look at him. "That's what he is."

He turned his attention to the fight and saw that it hadn't stopped. Armstrong had neared Scar and the other man had raised his hand. He was about to press his palm towards the Major's stomach, but the most odd thing happened.

A strong wind flew right in front of Scar making him lose his balance and fall to the ground. The wind had narrowly missed Armstrong who was standing on his feet and looked around to where the wind came. While it was raining, there was no wind nearby them and Virgil didn't understand where it came from.

"What the hell?" Joseph muttered under his breath as he searched from where the wind came. His best friend was just as lost as he was.

As soon as Scar rose up to his feet, someone came from the shadows and kicked him to his stomach. The kick made him land on the floor with his back. Virgil blinked as he turned his attention to the person who had hit the man.

There stood a person who was wearing all black clothes and wearing a hood that covered the back of their head. The person had his back on Virgil and he couldn't see how the person looked. He was also holding a bo staff on his hand.

When Scar had fallen on the ground, his glasses had fallen as well. When his eyes opened, Virgil's heart skipped a beat. He had looked at the same eye color many times in his life. Those eyes haunted him in his sleep and played a big part in his nightmares. Scar had red eyes of Ishvalans which meant one thing and that was that he was an Ishvalan as well.

"He's an Ishvalan." Mustang declared to the others as they all looked at the Ishvalan.

Him killing State Alchemist made sense to Virgil. He wasn't going after alchemist for defying God, he was going after alchemist out of vengeance. He was using God's name to excuse his thirst for revenge.

Scar got up and ran towards the person who had kicked him in the guts. He extended his palm to touch the person's forehead. He was almost near, but the unknown man had seen his movement and dodged his palm. The unknown man raised their hands and pointed them to Scar. A burst of air erupted from the man's palms that made Scar fly away.

"He's impressive." Virgil remarked as he looked at Scar.

"He's clearly a she, Virgil." Joseph corrected making him furrow. "Do you need glasses, man?"

Virgil turned his attention to the person. He tilted his head and tried to find any resemblance that the person was a woman. It didn't take long for him to realize that the body and stature was one of a woman rather than a man. How had he missed that?

Scar didn't seem to have the opportunity to get a break as Riza used her sniper to shoot him. Only a bullet touched him and it only grazed his shoulder.

"Just as I thought," Scar began as he looked around to all of the people he was facing. "I'm at a disadvantage against this many opponents."

Mustang raised his hand to stop people from shooting. "Hold it!" Everyone stood still. "You actually believe you can get away when you're surrounded, do you?"

Scar raised his hand before leaning down and pressing it on the ground. A circle was formed around him making Armstrong and the unknown woman step away. With his powers, the ground beneath Scar's feet started to crumble and it didn't take long for a giant hole to be formed around it. The man fell down the hole while people moved away from it.

"Damn it!" Virgil huffed when he saw that the man had escaped.

"That bastard went down to the sewers." A military policeman announced as they looked down.

The unknown woman stepped closer to the hole and looked down to it. "Isn't this great?" He hadn't expected the woman to have a raspy voice to her. "I thought I made a great entrance and he had to make his exit ten times better."

Virgil shared a look with Joseph who gave him a shrug in response. Where did this woman come from and who was she?

"Don't follow him!" Colonel Mustang ordered the people around.

The woman dropped down her hood and snorted. She revealed her shoulder-length curly black hair. "No one with a functional brain would follow him down there." She turned her attention to Major Armstrong. "Why don't you have a shirt on?"

"I'm wondering the same question." Mustang's man commented making Virgil snort.

Major Armstrong raised his eyebrows as he looked at the woman. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"I don't think so." She responded to him. "What's your name, sir?"

Armstrong lifted his chin up and puffed his chest. "Major Alex Louis Armstrong." He extended his hand for the woman to shake.

"We're introducing ourselves with our full names?" Virgil heard the woman mutter. He had the same curiosity to know her name as he had to know what color Scar's eyes were. "Alright, then." She shook the Major's hand. He gazed at the side of the woman's face and found it familiar. He tilted his head to get a better look at her."I'm Beatrice Ann Schwartz." Her answer made every part of his body freeze and his eyes widen.

* * *

_**So, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I loved writing it. I loved having Riza back for this chapter. Also, we have Hughes, Armstrong, Scar, my boy Roy, my other boys Edward and Alphonse, and we had Havoc as well. It was interesting to write these characters because they are such fun and amazing characters to write. On the other hand, we finally meet the sister of Virgil who has been mentioned a few times in the story, Beatrice Schwartz who will play a big role in this story. A role just as big as her own brother.**_

_**Next up, Great Work**_


	13. Great Work

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

Virgil had never thought he would be in his situation. He had never wanted to meet his little sister. She wasn't a part of life before and he didn't want her to be. She could be a little Hector who only cared about her job and money. She could be rude and a fool, she could be his worst nightmare in the flesh. He didn't want to have her a few feet away from him, he didn't want to see her conversing with Major Armstrong.

"Schwartz?" Armstrong repeated and he noticed his sister nod. He couldn't pull his eyes away from her, she reminded him of someone and he wanted to know who. "You're the daughter of the late General Schwartz?"

Beatrice sighed. "In the flesh."

His heart was beating so fast that it was touching his ribcage. Of all people who had come to help them, it had to be her. People around them were busy looking at the damage that had been done or caring after the injured Elric brothers. He was sure that he was the only person who had noticed her and Armstrong talking.

"Go talk to her." He had been wrong as it seemed like Joseph had heard her too. He had hoped that he could disappear from this place, although his feet weren't listening to him.

Virgil didn't respond, he turned his attention to Beatrice.

"Did you know my father, sir?" She asked Armstrong. Her voice was so raspy that it made him wonder how much did she smoke.

He shook his head in answer. "No. I know your brother."

Virgil was about to run, but Joseph gripped his arm. "Don't embarrass yourself." He hissed. "You're a Major, not a twelve year old."

Armstrong raised his arm and pointed to Virgil. His breath caught in his throat as he waited for her to turn. He could see her frown and it didn't take long for her to follow the hand of Armstrong.

His eyes widened as soon as she faced him. His sister had blue eyes and the black hair of Schwartz, but everything else reminded him of his mother. To the last detail, Beatrice looked like a dead ringer for his mother. If she had his mother's dark brown eyes and brown hair, she would be Adrienne Schwartz.

Beatrice studied him for a few seconds before she walked towards him. Joseph moved his grip away and made his way to where Hughes and Mustang were arguing.

"I expected you to be shorter." That was the first words his sister said to him and he blinked a few times. "You're a Major?" She inspected the star on his shoulder. "Did your adventure in the western borders make a Major?" His whole body froze and his palms started to sweat. She knew who he was better than he knew who she was.

He raised his chin and cleared his throat. "I expected you to sound way softer." He responded to her with honesty. He didn't know why it bothered him that she didn't have a soft voice.

Beatrice gave him a smile. "Most do." She responded and tilted her head. "You look like dad." His body tensed and he curled his lips. "You don't like being compared to him." The smile on her face made it seem like she was finding the whole meeting amusing rather like him who found it awkward. Or did she found his awkwardness amusing? He had no idea. "Are you always this silent? Did the cat get your tongue?"

Virgil wanted her to leave. He didn't want to speak to her and he wanted to forget that he had met her. She reminded him of both of his parents. She reminded him of his mother with her looks and their father with her manners. "I guessed I didn't expect to meet you."

"I didn't expect it either." She commented before letting out a snort. "You could just say that you weren't much of a talker and I would have left you alone. I don't like getting bored."

There was no doubt that Beatrice was Hector's daughter. She definitely wasn't his mother's daughter. He didn't want her to be his sister, but rather a stranger who had come to aid them.

Beatrice walked away from them and he heard a few steps come towards him. He knew that it was Joseph. "That was…" His best friend trailed off. "Odd."

"She is his daughter." Virgil murmured under his breath. "Fuck, she even walks with arrogance like him." He saw Beatrice make his way to where the Elric brothers were. She seemed to be fascinated by them more than she was with him.

"Why didn't you talk to her at all?" Joseph questioned him. "I expected to be a more sweet reunion."

Virgil scoffed. "I expect it to be a sweet goodbye." He spat making Joseph frown.

He ignored his sister who was talking to Riza, the Elric brothers and one of Mustang's men. He turned his attention to the hole that Scar had created. He looked down to the sewers and let out a scowl.

Scar should have gone after him as much as he went after State Alchemists. He had killed more than twenty people in an inn and he had killed every survivor of Kimblee's attacks. He should have offered himself to Scar and should have left his power struck him down. He should have let the man annihilate him. He should have been killed mere minutes ago. If he had been, he wouldn't have met Hector in the form of a woman.

* * *

Virgil didn't understand why she was brought in the Eastern headquarters. Joseph and Hughes explained to him that Mustang was interested in her alchemy skills. He had fought the urge to scoff. She had just blown air, she hadn't done much to be considered a skill. She should have been sent her way.

"So…" Mustang began to say and turned his attention to Beatrice who was looking around the office. "How did you learn alchemy?"

Virgil crossed his arms and started to tap his foot. "Picked it up myself." She answered him. "I became interested in it around when I was ten and I have been studying it since then."

"You seem to be more directed in air than other elements." Mustang pointed out as he studied Beatrice. "Did your master teach you that?"

Beatrice laughed. "I didn't have a master." He saw every alchemist, Riza and Hughes raise an eyebrow at what she said. "I taught it to myself." Everyone was staring at her as if she had given the most shocking news. "I know, I know. My brain is just…" A grin crossed her face. "Just so powerful. It's so much that it amazes even me sometimes."

Virgil scowled and he shook his head. She was proving that she had been raised by Hector Schwartz with every word she spoke.

"Although, I can assure you that if you want to recruit me as a State Alchemist, I won't be one." Everyone froze at her honesty. "I won't prefer to be another Hero of Ishval like you, sir. Don't want to take your spot." Virgil could hear the deceit in her voice as she spoke to Mustang. She wasn't even trying to hide it and he applauded her for it.

Colonel Mustang shook his head. "No." He murmured. "I was just interested to know." Virgil knew that it was probably a lie. After all, he had recruited a boy to be a State Alchemist and he wouldn't even blink to recruit a twenty year old woman.

He hoped that she would leave, but she stayed. She turned her attention to two people and they were the Elric brothers. He guessed that it was just one person as the younger brother seemed to be just a hollow suit of armor. He didn't understand how he could talk or exist, but he decided not to ask questions. He didn't want to get answers that he wouldn't be able to understand. The only thing he understood was that the boys had committed human transmutation and that was the reason they were like this. In those moments, Virgil was thankful to Joseph for stopping him.

"Why was he going after us?" Edward Elric asked. When he spoke, all Virgil could see was a young boy who had been brought in this mess. "Scar?"

Every adult in the room with the exception of Beatrice, looked at each other. Who was going to explain the war to a bunch of boys? He knew for one thing that he wouldn't.

"Scar was an Ishvalan." Colonel Mustang began to explain everyone turned their attention to him. "The Ishvalans were a race of people in the East Area who worshipped their absolute one God of creation, Ishvala." He frowned when he saw Joseph flinch beside him. "But due to differences in religious values, there were frequent conflicts between the two countries." He explained to the boys and everyone listened. "Thirteen years ago, when an officer shot an Ishvalan child by accident, an enormous civil war erupted. Riot brought about riot, and before anyone knew, the flames of the rebellion spread throughout all of the East Area." He could remember listening to the radio in their academy days as if it had been yesterday. "An operation was ordered by the military brass after seven years of offensive and defensive warfare…" Roy Mustang hesitated for a few seconds. "To deploy the national alchemists as well in Ishval annihilation campaign. The intent was probably a test out their practical usage on the battlefield. Many practitioners were dispatched as human weapons." He put his elbows on the table and intertwined his fingers. "I was one of the practitioners."

Virgil glanced at the brothers and they seemed to be settling in the information that was given to them. His blue eyes landed on Beatrice who was looking at the Amestris flag on the wall.

"That is why that man, a survivor of Ishval, is justified in wanting vengeance."

He shook his head as he didn't agree with Mustang. Vengeance was never justified in his opinion.

"That's bullshit." Edward Elric spoke up making everyone turn to him even Beatrice. "There's no such thing as justice and crap in getting vengeance on innocent people. He's only wrapping his craving for vengeance by acting like a 'Messenger of God' and being all high and mighty about it."

Virgil hummed. "I agree with what you said, Edward Elric." The boy and his brother glanced at him. "He's the biggest hypocrite I have ever met. He wants to kill alchemists and yet he uses alchemy." Virgil scoffed. He thought about Kimblee and how much he would despise Scar for this.

"The sort of people who don't care how things get done are the most dangerous and scariest ones." Hughes stated.

Mustang turned his head away and rested his chin on his hand. "We also cannot worry about how things get done. We cannot die yet. The next time, there will be no talk." He gulped down. "We'll take him out."

Virgil agreed with him and he saw that many people in the room did as well. Three people didn't, the Elric Brothers who looked down at the thought and Beatrice who seemed to be judging them all with her blue eyes.

"Anyhow, here ends this boring topic." Hughes got up from his seat and turned his head to the brothers. "What are you Elric brothers, going to do now?"

Edward out his hand under his chin. "Yeah, I want to fix Al's armor, but I can't use that technique with this arm…"

He was cut off by Major Armstrong who took off his shirt and flexed his muscles. Virgil laughed when he saw that the shirt had landed on Joseph's face.

"Shall I fix you?" He asked the younger brother.

"I'll pass." Alphonse responded. It was quite odd to see such a small and sweet voice to come out from a suit of armor.

"I can do it." Beatrice suggested and walked over to Alphonse. She knelt down and tilted her head. "Yes, I can do it. Only if you want to."

Alphonse hesitated. "I would prefer my brother to do it." He responded and she nodded her head.

"Well, I guess this is my time to say goodbye to all of you." She spoke to all of them, her blue eyes flashing. "I would have said it was a pleasure, but it really wasn't." Virgil's eyebrows rose up so high that it touched his hairline. "Well, except for the Elric brothers, Major Armstrong and…" She snapped her fingers as she pointed to the blonde man in the room. "Lieutenant Havoc, right?" He gave her a curt nod in response. "Right." With that, she walked out of the room and closed the door.

As soon as she did, Lieutenant Havoc turned to Riza. "Oh God, she is beautiful!" He beamed making the rest of his team groan while Virgil frowned. "Do you think she will go on a date with me?"

"If she has taste, no." Mustang responded to his man. "Also, her brother is in the room. Get a grip, Havoc."

Havoc turned his head to Riza and whispered to her. She turned his attention to the Elric brothers, but he could hear them talk about him. He didn't care if Havoc ran out of the room to ask his sister out and he didn't care if she ended up dating scar, he just wanted her out of his life.

He remembered the day that she was born. Both of his parents had been happy and all they talked about was her. Virgil had been happy to have someone to play with as well, but that happiness didn't last. The day that Beatrice turned one year old, Hector and his mother decided to divorce and the next week, Hector took her to Central City and he didn't see her until today.

"I'll have to go to my mechanic." Edward Elric spoke up and he realized that they had been having a conversation while had been stuck in his thoughts.

"Who is going to go with you?" Hughes wondered out loud making Edward frown. "I got tons of work to do, so I gotta head back to Central soon. Same with Hummel." Virgil glanced at his best friend who was nodding.

"I can't leave headquarters." Mustang announced to the brothers.

"It's very hectic to watch over the Colonel." Virgil forced down a laugh as he remembered Riza telling him in a letter that Colonel Mustang had to be watched over.

Havoc who had a cigarette between his teeth, spoke up. "I got zero confidence in protecting you when it's that dangerous." The three other Mustang men agreed with him.

Virgil rubbed his chin knowing he was one of their last resorts and knowing that he didn't have anything to look up to in the upcoming week.

* * *

"He is a stubborn kid." Joseph commented as him and Hughes entered the train. They were heading to Central while Armstrong, Virgil and the Elric brothers were heading to Resembool. "It took a long time convincing him that he needs an escort."

Hughes chuckled as they took their seats. "He's just like every fifteen year old boy in this country." He pointed out. "He preferred to go with Schwartz alone rather than both him and Armstrong."

Joseph crossed his arms. "Well, Virgil doesn't take off his shirt at any given moment." He reminded Hughes. "The boys would probably prefer to be around him."

"And he has the reputation of a badass." Joseph raised an eyebrow at him. "One of Gracia's little cousins described him like that." He shrugged. "He's odd, isn't he?"

"What do you mean by odd?" He furrowed his eyebrows when he asked the question.

"With his sister, he acted odd." Hughes responded. "He acted as if she was the biggest enemy he had to face. Is their relationship that bad?"

"They haven't seen each other in over nineteen years." He informed Hughes. He understood the man's confusion, he had been confused with Virgil's behavior as well. "She was only one when they last saw each other, so it's not that. It's just their parents had a very nasty divorce and I guess that they turned their children against each other as well."

Hughes shook his head. "That's a horrible thing to do to your kids. I will never do that, but also I will never divoce my amazing, beautiful, smart, strong wife." Joseph settled in as he knew this was going to be a long rant about his wife. "Gracia is-" He cut himself off and stared behind Joseph.

He followed his line of vision only to see one of the people they had been talking to. Beatrice Schwartz had just entered the train and she looked quite different than last night. She wasn't wearing the dark outfit that she had, she wasn't carrying her bo staff and she had her hair curled.

Joseph turned his face for her not to see him. It was pointless for him to do that as Hughes whistled. He opened his mouth and gave the man a questioning look.

"Miss Schwartz." His superior commander raised his hand. "Here!"

"What are you doing?" He whispered to the man who only gave him a shrug. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"I remember you from yesterday." She spoke to Hughes, her raspy voice easy to recognize. "Your name is…"

"Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, but you can call me Hughes or Maes." He saw them shake hands and he couldn't believe this was happening. If Virgil knew about his, he wouldn't be happy.

"You call call me Beatrice." She responded to him and her eyes landed on him. "You are the man whose hips were joined with my brothers."

Joseph bit his lip and got up. "Joseph. Joseph Hummel." He announced himself. "I'm Virgil's best friend. It's nice to meet you."

Beatrice's blue eyes studied him for a minute before she shook her head. "Aren't you breaking some sort of code talking to me?"

"Why would I break a code talking to you?" He wondered as they stopped shaking their hands.

"Well, your best friend really didn't want to talk to me." She stated and his eyes widened again. "It didn't take much time and effort to work it out, he made it pretty obvious."

Joseph didn't know what to say. He couldn't deny it as it had been obvious and he couldn't just agree with her. He had been put in an awkward situation.

"So, why are you going to Central?" Hughes sat down and he let Beatrice's space to sit as well. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"I heard the city is in desperate need of me being there." She answered them. "After all, my presence can fix about everything." She opened up her bag and pulled a cigarette from it. He wasn't surprised to find out that she smoked, her voice gave it all. "After all, I did help yesterday."

Hughes hummed. "You certainly did." He agreed with her. A smug smile appeared on her face. He couldn't blame Virgil for comparing her to Hector, she definitely acted as arrogant as he was described. "I haven't seen an alchemy like that."

"Air is underrated if you ask me." Beatrice got her lighter and lit her cigarette. "Everyone talks about earth, fire and water, but they forget the air. They forget about the thing that you can't live more than a minute without." He listened to her talk. She put her cigarette in her mouth and took a drag of it. "It's normal for humans to forget about what gave them life in the first place." She blew her smoke and it landed on his face making him cough.

Joseph noticed that the symbols on her palms that she had yesterday, had disappeared. "Your symbols seem to have been cleaned off?" He had thought they were tattooed in her palms.

Beatrice looked down to her left hand. "I'm still searching and studying about it." She informed him. "Alchemy is a wide science that you can never put a limit to it, so I have an open mind about it. I'm still focusing on basic alchemy, but I have taken a liking to air and its elements." Her eyes shone as she spoke about her passion.

"You impressed us to be honest." Hughes complimented up.

She shrugged. "I'm known to do that."

Joseph turned his head to the window as he couldn't believe what she was saying. She really was arrogant as Virgil had said. That was all that Virgil had seen, but he had definitely missed how smart his sister was. After all, not many people could become alchemist and she was.

* * *

The train made its way to Resembool and Virgil watched out of the window. Major Armstrong was reading a book, Edward was sleeping while Alphonse had been taken to the luggage car to Edward's displeasure. Him on the other hand, looked at the view that the eastern area of Amestris had to offer. It was beautiful. Everything was green and there were no big buildings and no smoke coming from a factory.

"I talked to Catherine last night." Major Armstrong spoke up making him turn his head. "She asked about you."

Virgil tried to hide his smile. "She did?" He had only gone out with Catherine once and she had been shy like in their first meeting. For awhile, he had thought she wasn't interested.

"She seemed to be taken by you." Armstrong continued to say to him. "Don't tell her I told you. She will throw me a piano if she found out." Virgil chuckled. "If things go well with you and Catherine," He noticed that tears had started to come out of the man's eyes. "You will join the Armstrong family that has been going on for generations." The man's eyes twinkled and he seemed to be shining bright. Virgil had no idea how this was possible, but he had stopped questioning a long time ago.

He nodded his face. "It will be an honor, sir." He noticed that the train was stopping. "Especially to be around your lovely sister."

Armstrong smiled through his tears. "Call me Alex." He responded and took his handkerchief to wipe his tears. The train stopped and Armstrong turned his head to the window.

The big man suddenly got up and made Edward Elric slam against the window. "What?!" He exclaimed and Virgil followed his eyes. He saw a middle aged man that he didn't recognize. "Doctor Marcoh?" He called and Virgil was sure that the name was familiar. The man turned to look at them. "Are you not doctor Marcoh?" The man only stared at them. "It is me, Alex Louis Armstrong from Central!"

With that, Doctor Marcoh began to run away making all of them squint their eyes. "What the hell?" Virgil muttered under his breath.

"How do you know him?" He questioned the man who went back to his seat.

"He is a very capable alchemist from an alchemic research agency of Central." Alex explained to him. "He took part in research to use alchemy for medical purposes, but disappeared after the war."

His response had sparked the attention of Edward as well. The boy got up and walked towards the exit. "Let's get off."

"We are heading to Resembool, Edward." He reminded the young alchemist.

"If that guy researched what Major Armstrong said, he might know something about biological transmutation."

The three of them made the conductor open the luggage car and he picked up Al from that. It proved difficult as it was filled with sheep and the armor smelled like it. Edward complained to his brother about it and Alphonse defended himself. It was still odd to Virgil to see an empty armor speak, he needed to get used to it.

The four of them asked around the train station if they had seen the doctor. Alex even drew doctor Marcoh which was surprisingly good and accurate.

"Major Armstrong, you are great at drawing." Edward mused as they looked at the sketch he made. Virgil wondered how could he do it so fast.

"This is the artistry that has been passed down from generation to generation of the Armstrongs." He said before he walked away.

Virgil who was carrying Alphonse, leaned down to Edward. "Fair warning, a lot of things have been passed down the Armstrong family."

"Is weirdness one of them?" Edward wondered as they watched the man.

Virgil felt offended as he remembered Catherine, but he had to admit that the woman was a bit odd too. Her hobbies included playing piano and throwing it. "I would call it eccentricness."

Soon, they found a couple who recognized the man. Although, they knew him as doctor Mauro. The people of the small village told them the directions of the man's house.

"He changed his name, so the military wouldn't find him." Virgil muttered as they made their way towards the house. He wondered why hadn't he done the same when the war had ended. The military hadn't stopped using him as his killing machine.

"When he disappeared I heard that some important classified files also disappeared." Alex let them all know and Virgil frowned. "There was a rumor that the doctor stole them, he might have thought we were agents of his agency."

"How come I never heard about it?"

Alex turned to him. "You were still in the academy, Virgil." He responded. "We didn't share that kind of information with cadets." Virgil held his tongue as he knew that this information had probably passed the ear of his best friend.

"I thought you fought in the war." Alphonse spoke up.

Virgil pulled the box he was in closer. "I was in the war. I was a cadet, they picked me to fight because I was good at combat." He explained to them. "Before they transferred me to Central, I used to attend the academy with Riza."

Edward stopped in his tracks. "Lieutenant Hawkeye?!" Virgil nodded and the boy shook his head in disbelief.

"She taught me how to shoot a gun." He told them as he remembered the academy days. He had thought he had been unfortunate in that moment.

They climbed the stairs to the man's apartment and Edward was about to knock. The boy saw that it was opened and pushed it more. In that moment, a gun appeared in his sight. Without hesitation, Virgil dropped down Alphonse, pushed Edward away, grabbed the gun with his right hand and wrapped his left one around doctor Marcoh's throat.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He snapped at the man. "You almost shot a little kid."

"Who are you calling a atom sized kids?!" Edward screamed from beside him, but Virgil ignored him.

Doctor Marcoh shook his head. "I'm not going back! If you're here to take me, I'm not going back!" Virgil rolled his eyes and threw threw the doctor down.

"We're not here to take you." He hissed at the man. "The boy has some questions to ask you. So, calm down."

* * *

Doctor Marcoh did calm down after that. He sat down on a chair and began to explain to them all that happened.

"Even though it was an order from above to be made to dirty my hands on it, I…" He hesitated to speak about it and Virgil didn't blame him. The memories that he had an Ishval were nothing but a reminder of the monster he was. He was sure that Doctor Marcoh felt the same. "And then it was used the East area civil war as a tool for mass murder…" His body shivered at the memory. "It was truly a horrible battle. Too many innocent bystanders died." Virgil as sure that he was going to vomit soon. "What I have done are things that cannot be atoned for by just taking life. Even so, I am acting as a doctor here for as long as I can."

Virgil squeezed his eyes shut. Doctor Marcoh seemed to be just as much as a monster as he was. The man different from him, had run away and tried to do good for all the life he had left. Virgil had killed more people and had committed a mass murder only a few years ago.

"Just what did you research and what did you escape with?" Sweat dropped down Doctor Marcoh's skin.

He cleared his throat and rubbed his forehead. "I made a Philosopher's Stone." The three others seem to be shocked at the news while Virgil didn't even know exactly what a Philosopher's Stone. He tried to remember what he had read when he tried to bring back his mother, he just couldn't remember.

"The research files and a stone are what I brought with me." He got up from his seat and walked towards a cabinet.

"You got the stone?!" Edward Elric asked and he looked at his brother.

Doctor Marcoh got a small bottle from his cabinet. "Yes." He answered. "It's in here." He placed the bottle. It was filled with a red colored liquid making Virgil frowned.

"Why is it liquid?" He asked.

The doctor opened the bottle and dropped the liquid on the table. It turned to some kind of stone, but when Edward touched it, it wobbled. "The Philosopher's Stone, the Celestial Stone, the Great Elixir, the Red Tincture and the Fifth Element." He began. "Just as the Philosopher's Stones have several names, their shapes are not limited to that of stones." Virgil squinted his eyes and scrunched up his nose as he looked at it. He didn't know exactly what it did, he just knew people considered it a myth. "However, they remained experimental creations up until the end. Imperfect objects that will eventually reach their limitations and become unusable." Virgil tilted his head before he looked up at the doctor. "And yet, they were used secretly during the civil war and their overwhelming power was demonstrated."

Virgil was about to ask him who used it, but Edward Elric was the first one to speak.

"Even though you're saying they're an imperfect creation making it means that with further research, we might be able to produce a perfect one." Edward murmured. He looked up at the doctor, his golden eyes shining and his whole body beaming. "Mr. Marcoh,can you show me the research files you took?"

He had no idea why the boy wanted the research files. He guessed it was an alchemist's curiosity.

Doctor Marcoh turned to Alex. "What should I say to him? Major Armstrong, who is this boy?"

"State Alchemist."

As soon as the words slipped Alex's mouth, the doctor bowed his head and covered his eyes. "And now even children…" He shook his head. "To obtain enormous research fundings, you were probably lured in by its privileges and obtained a license with foolishness." Virgil glanced at Edward and the boy's lips had curled and he was glaring at the man. "After the civil war-"

Virgil got up from his chair as he found himself not wanting to listen to what happened after the war. He had been there and he had seen it all. He had seen State Alchemist quit and he had seen soldiers leave the military. He had seen pain, grief, trauma and guilt all wrapped in one in every person who had been in war. People who had left the military, had been ridiculed and made fun of. They were called cowards, but at the end of the day, it was Virgil who had been a coward. He should have left a long time ago.

"I cannot show you the files."

He still looked through the window, yet he kept his ears focused on the conversation. He knew he had missed a lot on what the two of them had talked about.

"This is the end of discussion." Doctor Marcoh announced. "Go home. I cannot let you have the stone for something as minor as restoring your bodies."

Virgil found his brain stopping at what he heard. The brothers wanted the stone to restore their bodies. That was why Edward was so intent on the research files. He wondered what made the boy do this. What had made them do human transmutation? Had it been grief just like it had been with him?

"MINOR?!" Edward shouted in fury.

Virgil turned to look at them. "That's not fair, doctor." He spoke up as he put his hands in his pockets.

"It is better if you didn't see it." Marcoh insisted. "That's the research of the devil. Once you know about it, you'll see the very face of hell." The doctor's words made him wonder what was the research. What was so forbidden about it?

Edward rose up and breathed out. "If you are talking about hell, I saw it a long time ago."

Marcoh stared at the boy for a few minutes before he shook his head. "I can't let you." Edwar's head dropped down and his shoulders slumped. "Please, go home."

* * *

"You know I could have just punched him and took it from him?" Virgil suggested as they were waiting for the train to come. "It would have saved you the research and the time."

Edward held his head high. "I really, really wanted it." He confessed. "But then I remembered the people we met on the way to doctor Marcoh's house." Virgil's eyes went to the boy. "Even if we restored our bodies by robbing this town of its life support, it'd just leave a nasty aftertaste." Edward turned to his little brother. "We'll look for a different way. Right?"

"Yep." Alphonse agreed with his older brother.

Virgil smiled and turned his attention to the road. "It was good meeting a respected doctor like Doctor Maulo, wasn't it, Major Armstrong?"

Edward looked at him with the corner of his eye while Armstrong hummed. "It's good to see that kind of service around here, Major Schwartz."

He noticed the boy smile and sigh in relief. He wasn't planning to report doctor Marcoh, the man suffered a lot and he needed his peace. He could only hope that he would get his peace as well in the end.

"We're going to start from scratch again." Edward announced. "Man, this is a really long road."

Virgil stayed silent as his eyes surveyed the place. At the end of the station, he noticed a familiar figure. "He's right there."

They all got up and Virgil took Alphonse with them as they walked to the man. "This is the place where the research files are hidden." He told Edward as he handed him a piece of letter. "Look at this, if you won't regret knowing the truth. And if you don't, you will uncover the truth behind the truth." He sighed. "No, I've said too much."

Doctor Marcoh was about to walk away, but Virgil stopped him only a few feet away from them. "Doctor Marcoh…."

"I need to go." He reminded Virgil.

"It's just a question." He told the doctor and he gave Virgil a nod. "You said that the stone was used in the war." The man gave him another curt nod. "Is the light of its power a deep red?" The man nodded again. "Was Major Zolf J. Kimblee one of the soldiers who used a stone?"

Marcoh's whole body shivered at the mention of Kimblee. "I'm afraid so." He responded and Virgil gulped down. He didn't like to think of Kimblee much, but he was sure that his old commanding officer had used the stone. "You were one of his men?"

"I had the misfortune to be." He responded. "Thank you, doctor."

The man cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Major Schwartz." That was all he said before he left and Virgil wondered what it meant.

* * *

_**This is a chapter that I loved to write. It introduced even further to Beatrice Schwartz and we saw what Virgil really thinks of her. I really want you guys to tell me what you thought of her, although there is a whole lot more to learn about her. I hope you all enjoy it.**_

_**ShadowHeart175: **_I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the chapter and the twist in the end. I hope you enjoy this twist as well.

_**Next up, Homesick**_


	14. Homesick

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

His blue eyes scanned the territory of Resembool. He had known that it was village, but Virgil had never expected it to be so small. His life from one city to another had made him think villages bigger than size and had made him forget the beauty that they gave. They were a few houses, but they were a lot of land, trees, animals and you could see the sky by just raising your head. In Central, he had to climb a roof to see the sky and he never did that.

"It's beautiful." He let out as he took it all in.

Alphonse who he was still carrying, spoke up. "It is." Somehow, Virgil could hear the joy in the boy's voice. It was obvious that he was glad to be back. Even Edward who was trying not to show it was failing as he was smiling. The two of them missed their home.

The four of them walked down the road. Edward led them to the house and he seemed to be walking quite fast. The boy really had missed his home and he seemed to be itching to have his automail fixed.

They came close to a two story house. From a distance, Virgil could see an old short woman and a dog at the entrance of it. There was a sign next to them, but he couldn't see it as it was too far away.

The dog which was black and white started to run towards them. He immediately jumped on Edward's leg and the boy started to laugh.

"Long time no see, Den." Alphonse called the dog who started to bark. The old woman started to walk towards them. She was short, shorter than Edward by a few inches, her grey hair were pulled up in top bun and she was hearing small circular glasses.

"Granny Pinako." Edward greeted the woman and she smiled at him. "This is Major Armstrong and that is Major Schwartz. They came here to escort me and Al."

The woman extended her hand. Virgil had to drop Alphonse down to shake her hand. "Pinako Rockbell." She introduced herself.

Virgil furrowed his eyebrows at the last name. It sounded somehow familiar to him. He was sure that he had met or heard someone with the last name Rockbell.

"In the time you've been gone," The woman took a drag of her pipe. "Ed got small."

Virgil snorted and it didn't take long for the boy to start yelling. "WHO DID YOU SAY WAS SMALL, MINI HAG?"

He raised an eyebrow at what Edward said to someone he considered to be his grandmother. "OH YEAH, ULTRA SQUIRT!" He didn't expect the woman to return his insult.

"MIDGET HAG!"

His eyes widened as the exchange continued. "MICRO SQUIRT!"

"FLEA SIZED HAG!" Virgil found himself impressed with the creativity of the insults.

As soon as the insults ended, a wrench hit Edward on the head. He blinked a few times as the boy fell on the ground and grunted in pain.

"Hey, Ed!" He heard someone called. He followed the sound of the voice and found a blonde girl leaning against the railings of the balcony. "Didn't I tell you to call me before you show up for a maintenance check?" She snapped at him.

Edward rubbed his head and turned to look at her. "Winry, you jackass!" He exclaimed. "Are you trying to kill me?"

The girl whose name was Winry laughed. "Welcome home."

Virgil picked up Alphonse again and they all headed to the house. When they entered it, he finally came face to face with Winry. She was a tall blonde girl with blue eyes and a heart shaped face. She was beaming with excitement as she cleaned the grease off her hands.

There was something familiar about Winry that made him tilt his head. It was as if he had seen her before, but he couldn't place where.

"It's nice to see you, Winry." Alphonse told the girl who frowned.

"What happened to you?" She wondered as she studied the suit of armor.

They all shared a look with each other, not knowing what to say. Edward cleared his throat. "It's a long story."

Winry and Pinako narrowed their eyes. They didn't say anything, Pinako started to talk to Alphonse while Winry turned her attention to them. She gave Edward a questioning glance.

"Winry, these are Major Alex Armstrong." He pointed to the tall man next to him. "And this is Major Virgil Schwartz."

Winry gave them a small and restrained smile to both of them. "It's nice to meet you." She told them as she gulped down.

Virgil looked down to her. "Likewise." She gave him a small nod. When she turned her head, it dawned on him who she was.

She reminded him of the little girl in the picture he had, The little girl who has the biggest smile and was posing next to her parents. He had taken that from the two doctors that him and his team were sent to kill in Ishval. They had been killed a few hours before they arrived and they didn't know who had the killer been. That was why he found the last name Rockbell so familiar, he was sent to kill the parents of this girl he was facing.

Virgil felt an immense guilt. A guilt he felt everyday, but it just happened to be increased at the moment. He hated how small and awful this world was and he hoped that he wouldn't be able to deal with it one day.

* * *

_"I thought I would get to see this week."_ Catherine spoke with a low voice on the other line of the phone.

Virgil bit his lip and smiled. "Something came up and I had to escort the Elric brothers with your brother."

A small laugh escaped the young woman. "_I'm glad to see that you and my brother are babysitting. Maybe you can bond over that job."_

He snorted at what she said. "I'm glad that you are amused by all of this." He glanced behind his back to see if Edward was around. He knew if the boy heard, he would be angry. "I'll be back in Central in less than four days. As soon as I finish with my job, I will be taking you to a date." He heard her giggle. "How does that sound?"

_"Sounds great to me."_ She responded to him. _"I'll see you in Central. Say hi to Alex for me."_

Vigil hummed. "I will." He leaned himself on the wall. "Goodbye."

When she ended the call, he sighed. He could already feel his body relax at talking to her. It seemed like it was his cure for tension. After talking to her, he dialled the work number of Joseph. His best friend was probably in Central in his office.

He let it ring for awhile and Joseph answered. _"Hello?"_

"It's me, Virgil." He informed his best friend. "We arrived in Resembool a few hours ago and I thought it was best to tell you."

_"Good to hear that you made a good and safe journey."_ He could hear the other man scribble on paper. He was probably doing some paperwork. _"I have something to tell you as well."_

Virgil frowned. "Is it about Scar?" He wondered if they had found the man down the sewers and arrested him. Although, that didn't seem possible as he was quite sly.

_"It's about Beatrice."_ His blood went cold and goosebumps appeared on his skin. Hearing about her was way worse than hearing about Scar. At least, he could deal with the latter in the best way he knew how to deal with people. _"She's in Central."_

"What?!" He exclaimed. "What do you mean she's in Central?!"

_"I mean she's staying in Central for awhile, but I have no idea how long."_ Joseph scoffed. "_For someone who loves talking about themselves, your sister can quite keep her mouth shut for most things."_

Virgil shook his head. He had thought that the last time he would see his sister was in East City, he didn't want to face her and her smug face ever again. "Great. She's probably there to make my life miserable."

_"Virgil…"_ His best friend trailed off. _"The world doesn't revolve around you."_ He puckered his lips at what Joseph said. _"Especially someone like Beatrice's."_

He scowled. "You sound like you have known her for years?"

_"For a train ride."_ Virgil's eyebrows rose up to his hairline. _"Hughes was interested to know her. Also, you're wrong about her being an arrogant. She is closer to the line of a narcissist more."_

"Of course." Virgil groaned. "Just try to find out why she's here and when is she leaving."

_"Frankly, I have better things to do than that. I have to focus on my work."_ Virgil rolled his eyes. Joseph never missed an opportunity for a promotion. _"You can just tell her to leave you alone, she didn't seem interested in getting to you either. She noticed that you didn't seem as excited to meet her."_

Virgil shrugged. She had seemed more taken aback by the Elric brothers than him. It was a relief and he hoped that she would stay away from him. He didn't plan to have her in his life and he never wondered what it would be to know her. She was a stranger to him. She was Hector's daughter and he was Adrienne's son, that set them apart from each other.

"Alright, then. See you in Central in a few days." Joseph hummed. "And try not to suck up to your superiors so much, alright?"

_"Fuck off."_ Joseph responded before he ended the call. He put the phone down and walked towards the room where Pinako was.

"Even Central has heard of the Elric brothers…" He heard Alex say as he walked towards the room. "In particular the elder one, the 'Fullmetal Alchemist'. And it because of that fame that they are getting in trouble. They are fine, those boys are strong."

Virgil entered the room, but he stayed quiet. He wanted to know more about the brothers and their history. There seemed to be a lot underneath the surface of them. "Strong, you say…" Pinako looked down the automail leg she was fixing with a sad smile. "Four years ago, when he exchanged his arm to transmute his younger brother's soul…" Virgil's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe that he was hearing about such sacrifice. Edward had been only eleven and Alphonse one year younger. "When he decided to become a dog of the military…" Pinako continued and he listened. "When he withstood taking automail surgery, something that would make even an adult scream…" He could only imagine the pain Edward had been and he wasn't just thinking about the physical pain. "Who would have thought he had that sort of strength in that small body? And because he was so tough, I worry whether he could recover if something went wrong inside." Virgil gulped down. He knew well what happened if something felt wrong, he had been feeling wrong since he had stepped in Ishval. It was ten times worse than any physical pain.

"You treat them as if they were your grandchildren." Alex commented as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

The woman's smile grew. "Yes, I've seen them grow since they were born. You see, I used to be a drinking buddy of their father." She informed them. "That bastard left behind his wife and children in this town…" Virgil's fist tightened and he clenched his jaw. "I wonder where's he wandering off to now.. I don't know if he's dead or alive." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It seemed like the brothers' father was a big asshole who had forgotten about his family.

"Speaking of fathers, what about Winry's parents?" He stilled at the question that Armstrong made.

"They died in the Ishval civil war." Pinako responded to him as she worked with her screwdriver.

Virgil cleared throat. "I didn't know if it was them first." He spoke up. "But I heard a lot about them and the work they made in Ishval." The doctors had been doing their job. They saved lives whether it had been the lives of the military of Ishvalans. He had respect for them. "They were good surgeons."

"It was horrible war." Alex stated making Virgil shudder. By now, Virgil had learned that he could never escape Ishval or the western borders. They would always stick with him no matter what.

"Yes, it was." Pinako agreed. "But the people who lost their arms and legs during the war need our prosthetic outfitters." She snorted. "It's ironic. We lost our families in the war, but we're able to eat because of that war."

Virgil looked down and sighed. He turned his head and saw the clock. "It has gotten late." He realized. "We need to find an inn to stay, Major."

"No, no, no." Pinako spoke up making both of them look at her. "You two will be staying here. Take it as a thank you for returning our boys home safely." He was about to speak up, but she didn't let him. "I don't take no as an answer."

Virgil glanced at Alex who shrugged at him in response. It seemed like they had no other choice.

* * *

Virgil had no idea why he couldn't sleep since he had come to Resembool. He had learned a lot about the brothers and he had been appalled by the news. They had lost their mother at such a young age, way younger than he had been when he had lost his. They had committed human transmutation in hopes to bring her back. They had lost their Edward had lost his leg while Alphonse his whole body. Edward had to exchange his hand for his brother's soul. In hopes of getting their bodies, Edward had become a State Alchemist. They had burned their house and they were searching for the Philosopher's Stone ever since. It was quite a story to be inspired by, but also a story to feel pity about his brothers.

When he had been around their age, he had spent most of his time playing around with Joseph or trying to get his friend out of the trouble he had gotten in. If someone had a sad childhood that the brothers could relate to was Joseph.

He could hear Alex snoring next to him and he sighed. At least, someone was having a good night sleep. He got up from his bed and walked out of the room. He thought that he could get a glass of water to relax. When he stepped in the hall, he noticed a figure in the living room. He frowned and stepped forward just to see the suit of armour.

"Alphonse?" He called the boy.

The head of the armour looked up. "Major Schwartz? Did I wake you up somehow?"

He shook his head. "No, I couldn't sleep." He answered. "What are you doing awake?"

"I can't sleep." Alphonse answered him. "I have to stay up all night."

Virgil gulped down. He couldn't imagine what it was not to eat and sleep everyday. A human body needed that to survive, but Alphonse didn't have a human body anymore. He was just a soul.

"Do you mind if I keep you company?" He wondered and the boy shook his head. Virgil took a seat next to him. "You can call me Virgil by the way. I hate being called Major Schwartz."

"Everyone calls you that." Alphonse reminded him. "That's your military rank."

Virgil nodded his head. "It doesn't make me love it. It's my job and right now, I'm not doing my job." He responded. "I'm hanging out with you."

The boy looked down. "I guess you are." He muttered. "Why can't you sleep?"

"Sometimes, I just can't." He responded to Alphonse. The story of the brothers had kept him all night, but most of the time, it was the constant nightmares that he had that kept him all night. "It comes with age."

"Ed sleeps twice as much as people need to." Alphonse reminded him what he had seen in the train. "I didn't know people were capable sleeping that much."

Virgil leaned his head against the wall. "Babies do." He informed Alphonse. "Do you miss sleeping?"

"I do." He responded with honesty. "I miss eating too, taking a bath, drinking water and many other things." He felt his stomach turn at Alphonse's admission. "That's why my brother and I are working so hard to get our bodies."

Virgil nodded his head. "You're closer than ever now. With what doctor Marcoh gave to you, you might just make a Philosopher's Stone."

"I hope Winry and Granny finish Ed's automail leg and arm fast, so we could find the research." He exclaimed. "We have been wanting that for four years and we are finally close."

"I hope you get it. You deserve it." He turned to look at the boy. "I wonder how you'll look. I've seen the photos, but they were taken quite a long time ago."

"One thing that I can assure you is that I'll be taller than Ed." The boy's words made Virgil laugh, laugh hard enough as he had to bite his lip to prevent waking up the others too. He would have never expected the boy to have a great sense of humor. It seemed like everything involving the Elric brothers surprised him so far.

* * *

He looked from the porch at the two boys sparing. They were good, he realized. Very good for his age, but they had a long time to learn.

"They can break the automail like this." Winry scoffed as she watched the brothers fight.

Virgil turned to look at her, pushing the guilt down. "They need to do it. They need to keep their body awake just as they need to keep the mind awake."

Winry turned to look at him and pursued his lips. "You learned that in the military?"

He shook his head. "No, actually." He answered her. "I read that in a book about martial arts of Xing. My father had a few books about it and I read it. The Xingese focuses on putting the body and the mind in the same balance. They think if you do that, you'll be a better fighter."

"So, you can kick their asses." Winry suggested and he laughed. "I wouldn't mind if you kicked Ed's ass, he has been very annoying lately."

Virgil chuckled and glanced at the boys. He squinted his eyes and let out a hum. "I can do one better."

He walked towards the boys who had stopped sparring for a minute. They both turned to look at him.

"Do you mind me teaching you something?" He questioned them as his eyes drifted between them.

"Teach us what?" Edward wondered and he smiled.

"Have you ever heard of pressure points?" They both shook their head. "Pressure points are some points in our bodies. If we hit those points during a fight, we can tire out our opponents." He explained to them. "Which means we don't have to actually injure them or hurt them."

The attention of the two boys was sparked and he took it as a cue to continue talking.

"There are many pressure points, but I'm going to teach you the ones that are easier to hit." He continued to say. He started to unbutton his shirt.

"Not him too." Edward whined making him laugh. The two boys sighed in relief to see that he had a tank top under it.

Virgil put the shirt down and pointed to his wrist. "When you hit a certain pressure point like the inner side of the wrist, you can not only tire them out, but you can put them." He turned to Alphonse. "If you use pressure points, you will be winning the fight as you can't get tired. So, I really advise you to do it." Alphonse nodded his head. "Your best friend in this occasion are the upper body pressure points as you are tall." He turned to Edward who was already glaring at him. "In your case, Ed, lower body pressure points are your friends."

"Why?" He asked, his glare intestifying.

"You can go after higher body pressure points too, Ed." He told the golden haired boy. "I don't know how much that will help you."

Edward lifted his chin up and glanced away. "Now, let's start with an easy one like the instep."

It took a few hours for him to explain to the boys how the pressure points worked and which ones they were. To his luck, his students were quick to catch up on what he was saying. It didn't take long for them to hit his pressure points tiring him out.

They all sat down on the table a few hours later to eat dinner. Him and Edward were eating as

Much as they could because of tired they were. Alphonse on the other hand, was polishing his head which was quite a strange sight.

"Your dad have been quite a fighter." Edward commented as they ate. "Was he in the military as well?"

Virgil tensed at the mention of Hector. He had brought this to himself when he had told the boys about it. "I don't know if he was a good fighter, but he was in the military. He was a General before he passed away."

"Did he die in the war?" Winry asked, her voice dripping with curiosity.

Virgil shook his head. "No, he was discharged before the Extermination and he was never sent to the battlefield. He died less than a year before the war ended."

"I'm sorry." Alphonse mumbled.

"Don't worry." He assured the boy. "I wasn't that close with him." Everyone raised their eyebrows at him with the exception of Alex. "My parents divorced when I was seven. My dad took my sister in Central who was only one and I stayed in South City with my mother."

"Your sister was hilarious." Edward said with his mouth full. Virgil tensed at the mention of her. It seemed like Beatrice had replaced Hector as he got the same reaction he used to get with him when she was mentioned. "A little weird, but funny."

Virgil gave him a smile. "I'm glad that she amused you that much." He bit off adding that she didn't amuse him. "She outright said that you three and Lieutenant Havoc were the only ones she liked." He had to remember that she wasn't just an arrogant, she was rude and blunt too. He just hoped that he would never see her again.

* * *

Blinking her eyes open, the dark haired woman cursed herself for not drawing the curtains at night. She had been studying alchemy all night and she had fallen asleep with the books on her body. She pushed them on the other side of the bed and sat up on the bed.

It was surreal to be back in her old room, to be back in her old house and be back in Central. She had thought she had left this life behind. She didn't want to come back and yet here she was.

Her study and research on alchemy was the biggest reason she had come back. She needed to improve, she needed to focus more on air alchemy and she knew that she had a lot of books in the library of her old house that would help her.

Beatrice cracked her neck and yawned. At least, she had a good sleep. She had forgotten how comfortable her bed was. She stepped on the cold floor of the room and flinched. She moved to get her slippers and walked out of the room. She had come in Central a few days ago and she had yet to clean the whole house. She knew that she wouldn't stay long, but it bothered her to leave it all dirty.

No one lived here since she had left five years ago. She had let got the staff of the mansion and locked the doors and gates of it. She had wanted to sell it for a long time, but something was stopping her. She hated to admit that it was the memories that attached with his house.

Beatrice had a good childhood. She had lived it to her fullest and because of that, she and decided to live her adulthood to her fullest as well. There was no responsibility or strings that were holding her back from doing what she wanted. Well, that was what she thought because she always had known that something was holding her back. She just didn't know what.

It was odd that the minute that she had been wandering in the streets of the East City, she had heard a commotion. She had come to aid the military against an Ishvalan, a move that she regretted, but couldn't take back. She had met a lot of people including an eccentric Major, a hopeless romantic Lieutenant, a fifteen year old State Alchemist, an empty suit of armor with a soul attached to it and her own brother.

She had heard a lot about Virgil as she grew up. She had known about his birthday, what he liked to do, what was his favourite food, who was his best friend, how were his grades and how did he look. She had always wondered about him and a part of her had always wanted to meet him. That part of her had died when she had learned that he had taken part in the Extermination War and more so, when she heard what he had done in western borders. She had read that the group had been criminals from Creta who had been killing Amestrians. But people should have the opportunity to be judged by law, not her brother who had killed them mercilessly.

Beatrice hadn't expected him to wide arms for her, but he had been cold and as soon as his eyes had landed on her, he wanted her out of her sight. His eyes and his body language spoke it all. She didn't care that he didn't want to know her. It was his loss after all, not hers.

Her heart skipped a beat as she passed that room. That cursed room that she would burn if she had the courage to enter. It was locked and Beatrice wanted to stay that way. She didn't want to enter the room that gave her the worst memory.

"Do right by me, Bee. Do right my be."

Beatrice gulped down as she started to descend the stairs of the grand staircase. Those words had been haunting her for too long and she had been ignoring them for that long. She didn't want to do them, she wanted to live her life. She had never promised that she would do it, she had just stood quiet.

Her heart was telling her that she should do it. Her mind wasn't disagreeing with the heart, but it wasn't agreeing either. It was a decision she had to make and if she did, a lot of things would change, including her relationship with Virgil.

Walking inside the kitchen, she felt the nostalgia creep around her. She could still remember the cherry pie smell. She had tried to make it a few times, but she had never been able to do it. She had always given up during it.

She put her hands on the countertop and took a deep breath. She might have come back to study alchemy, but she knew that one of the reasons was that she felt homesick.

Beatrice Schwartz was finally where she belonged, she was home.

* * *

_**I love Edward and Alphonse Elric, pass it on. Also, I love Winry. In short, I love all the characters of Fullmetal Alchemist. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Virgil finally had the break of the city life he has and got to know more about the Elric brothers. Next chapter, he will be back in Central and we will see even more of Beatrice Schwartz.**_

_**ShadowHeart175: **_I'm glad that you enjoyed Beatrice as a character. You'll learn that she can really get in people's nerves fast and without much effort. I hope you enjoy more of her and the rest of the story. Yes, we can all agree that things are finally moving with a fast pace after slowing down for awhile. Their world is about to turn soon.


	15. Crimson Lock

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, I JUST OWN VIRGIL, BEATRICE, AND JOSEPH.**_

* * *

Virgil took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "Come in." A voice said behind the door and he opened it to reveal his superior officer, General Raven. He saluted the man and he nodded. "You're back, Major Schwartz."

"I am, sir." He responded. "Your assistant told me that you wanted to meet me as soon as I return."

"Yes, yes." General Raven motioned to his chair. "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes informed that you went to escort the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother to fix his automail."

"The boy was injured by the man called Scar in East City." Virgil swallowed down remembering that he failed on catching him. It was his job to catch him. "Scar got away before we could get him."

"I'm aware of that, Major Schwartz." General Raven told him. "It seems to be his specialty, but we don't have to worry about that." Virgil frowned. "Scar is being handled by the Easter forces, specifically Colonel Mustang. He has been seen there and until he shows up here, it will be their duty."

Virgil wanted to catch the man, he wanted to see him being imprisoned for killing people, especially when he said that he was a messenger of God. He was using religion as an excuse to terrorize people. "He's an Ishvalan." He muttered and Raven frowned at him. "We learned that in East City."

"One of my assumptions was that he was an Ishvalan." Raven admitted. "It made sense, you see? Who would go after State Alchemists, was the question I asked myself. A suspect was an Ishvalan." He shook his head. "The damage is done, people died in Ishval and now, we have to move on."

He bit his lip to prevent himself from speaking. His commanding officer made it sound that they had been the victim and they had to move on from the pain that was caused to them. It wasn't true as they had been the ones who had caused pain on people of their own country. There had been damaged in their side, it couldn't be compared with what happened to Ishvalans.

"I heard that your sister is back." He raised an eyebrow at the change of his subject. Why did his sister have to be mentioned? How did General Raven know her? "I remember when your father would bring her to work, she was a firecracker." Virgil started to tap his foot. "I also heard that she's an alchemist."

Virgil pressed his lips together. "Yes, she is."

"With the loss of alchemists, the military needs new ones." General Raven reminded him and he lifted his chin. "Do you think she will be interested?"

"I don't know her well, sir." Virgil responded. He didn't know her at all. He just knew her name, her parents, age, that she was an alchemist and that she didn't want to become a State one. She had made it obvious when she had talked with Colonel Mustang.

"Since you have been relieved of your duty to find Scar, try to see if your sister is interested to join us." Virgil wanted to curse. He didn't want anything to do with his sister and he was being forced to contact her. "We might not work in that division of the military, but they need all the help they can get."

"I'll ask her." Virgil said through his teeth. "Anything else?"

General Raven smiled at him and shook his head. "No, nothing else. You are excused."

"Thank you, sir." Virgil muttered and walked away from the office. He headed to his own and saw that the rest of the team had left for lunch.

He dropped on his chair and groaned. It was if people were torturing him on purpose by making him talk to his sister. Maybe it was torture. The universe was getting back to him for what he did in Ishval and the western borders, so it was bringing his sister, someone who was raised by a man he despised.

Virgil rubbed his nose and took a deep breath. He couldn't say no to his duty, he needed to talk to Beatrice about a program that she hated. It was going to be great dealing with her narcissism.

It didn't take long for him to be reminded that he had other plans and he didn't need to contact his sister today. After all, Beatrice had never been his priority and she was never going to be. He picked up the phone and dialed the number.

_"Hello?"_ Catherine's voice spoke from the other line and he felt his shoulders relax.

"It's Virgil." He spoke up and he heard her let out a small squeal before she calmed herself down. "I'm back in the city and I thought that we could go on a date tonight. If you are free, of course."

"_Yes, yes."_ She answered him and Virgil grinned. At least, one thing was going good in his life. "_Where should we meet?"_

Virgil looked at the paperwork he was going to fill, he needed to stay one more hour in work than usual. "I'll come and pick you up at eight." He told her and she giggled.

_"Alright, see you then."_ She answered him. _"Bye_."

Virgil hummed. "Bye." He hanged up and sighed. He was going to be busy this week with Catherine, finishing off his paperwork, talking to Beatrice and going to do something that he had been wanting to do since his talk with Marcoh. He needed to know more and he was going to get the answers he wanted one way or another.

* * *

Memories came and went as she walked down the streets of Central City. Most of them were good memories, good memories that brought a bad aftertaste. She breathed in and kept walking. She didn't need to preoccupy herself with memories. After all, she didn't want to go back to her old life. The life she was living was her new one.

Beatrice looked down at her list and bit her lip. She needed to buy a few things for her house and herself. She always hated grocery shopping, but it was her job now.

She entered the store and she could hear people talking. She blocked them out as she didn't want to know how an old woman had caught her neighbor cheating on her wife. She knew though, that the old woman should tell the wife.

As she grabbed a cart and started to put milk on it, she heard a familiar voice.

"No, Elicia." She frowned and took a step closer towards the voice. "Your mommy said no candies for you." Beatrice smiled as she recognized the voice.

"Daddy!"The little girl whined and Beatrice knew it was his daughter. He had spoken about her during the whole train ride.

Hughes sighed. "Fine, fine, fine." He said. "You'll get all the candy that you want because I can't say no to you."

Beatrice smiled and stepped closer to him and his daughter. "That won't help her teeth." Both he and his daughter turn to look at her. Elicia's green eyes widened when she saw her and she stared at Beatrice. It made her a bit uncomfortable, but she didn't say anything.

"It's good to see you." He told her. "I didn't expect you to see on this side of the city."

She shrugged at him. "Well, we don't have grocery stores on the other side. Plus, it's quite boring." She looked down at Elica who was still staring at her. "Hi, Elicia. Nice to meet you." the girl smiled before she giggled. "You were right. She is cuter in person."

Hughes' eyes twinkled. "Some have the decency of telling me that there is no difference." He picked up his daughter and pressed a kiss on her cheek. "Isn't she amazing?"

Beatrice shifted at his words. She felt as she had been confronted with an old memory of her. "She is." She responded to him. "It was nice to see you, but I have a lot of things to do. Moving back in seems like a lot of trouble."

"You need help to clean that mansion." He had dropped her at the estate and he had seen her house. "Why don't you ask Virgil?"

She flickered her eyes up at the mention of her brother. "Is he back in town?" She wondered.

"Yes, he is. Saw him in headquarters today." Hughes gulped down and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Either way, he might want to help me."

"I doubt it." Beatrice muttered. "But thank you for telling me." She smiled as she wondered how could she find him.

Hughes scrunched up his nose. "You're welcome?"

"As I said, it was nice to see you." She told him and turned to his daughter. "It was good meeting you, Elicia." The girl smiled. "See you around, Hughes."

"Likewise."

Beatrice continued to do her shopping as she thought of ways to approach her brother. She knew where he worked, but she didn't think it was a good idea to show her face in the military. After all, she wanted to burn the place down and she wasn't the best in controlling her impulses.

She kept wondering as she got all that she wanted and was making her way back to her house. As she did, she remembered the fact that Virgil didn't like her. He met her one minute, barely talked to her and it seemed like he had decided to dislike her. She had to prepare herself for his obvious love to judge people, but how was she going to approach him.

Many ideas came to her mind. She could make him a pie or a cake. She decided not to do that because she was sure that Virgil would think she was poisoning him. She could run into him accidentally, but he was Major and someone who was a Major should have a few working brain cells to know that it wasn't an accident.

Beatrice groaned as she opened the gates of the estate. She shouldn't go after him. He had never bothered to know her in her twenty years of her life. She wasn't a part of his life and he wasn't of hers anymore. They should go their ways like they had all of their lives.

"You made the promise, idiot." She told herself as she entered the mansion. "You said that you'll do good by him, remember?" She let out a groan. "Why am I talking to myself?"

A voice in her head reminded Beatrice that she had been doing that for years. She walked to the kitchen and sighed.

"How am I going even to talk to him?" Beatrice muttered herself. "Oh, hello, Virgil. I want to know you better. Please, tell me what do you other than being the military's lapdog, huh?" She dropped her head. "That isn't how I should start my conversation, I'm better than this." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Who am I kidding? I'm not good at this." She put her bags on the counter.

She began to pace around the room and cursed under her breath. She ran a hand through her black hair and stopped to think.

Why was this difficult for her? She was good at almost everything she did. Why was starting a relationship with her brother so hard? Why was she afraid to pursue it? Why was she doubting herself?

Beatrice pushed those thoughts down. She was going to do it and she was going to do it in her way. Everyone liked her when they got to know her and Virgil would do the same. All she needed to do was be herself.

The question was how she was going to get to meet him if she didn't want to step in headquarters. She smiled when the idea came to mind. She was going to do this in the Schwartz way, money and manipulation.

* * *

"Alex told me that you taught the Elric brothers a few tricks." Catherine said as they walked down the streets of the city. They were heading to the park after having dinner in a fancy restaurant that Virgil didn't know how to spell it until Joseph told me how. Their arms were linked and Catherine was pressing herself close to him. "He says you're a good fighter."

Virgil scoffed. "Not a good fighter, a decent one." He responded as he shrugged.

"No one told me that you were modest as well." She said when the two of them started to cross the road.

"No one?" He repeated and she blushed. "You have been asking around about me, haven't you?" She turned as red as a tomato. "Who?"

Catherine covered her face with her free hand. "This is embarrassing." She shook her head. "I want to go home."

Virgil's eyes widened. He couldn't believe he screwed this up so fast, he was alright a minute ago. "No, no, no." He moved her hand away from her face. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, I find it quite endearing."

"You do?" She asked, her eyebrows almost disappearing in her hairline.

"I do." He admitted to her. "I find everything about you endearing." She started to blush again. "I like you, Catherine." As he spoke those words to her, he realized that he had forgotten how to be honest with someone other than Joseph these past few years. It was quite fresh and relaxing.

Catherine squeezed his arm. "I like you too." She whispered and he felt his heart clench. Had he become a teenager again? "Yes, I did ask people about you. They mostly said good things about you."

Virgil frowned. "Mostly?" His mind went to Ishval and what he had done there. His heart started to beat fast and his muscles tensed.

"They said a lot of stuff about your father." Virgil tried his best not to sigh in relief. "They said that the Schwartz name represented greatness and loyalty and how your father ruined it all."

"He was a man of many talents." He joked, but Catherine didn't laugh. He stopped walking when they were about to enter the park and faced her. "I'm not him."

"I know that, Virgil." She responded to him. "But people say that you are the Schwartz heir and there is no way you could return the family's glory."

Virgil shook his head. "I'm not the heir, my sister is." Catherine raised an eyebrow at him. "My father didn't leave me with a single dime and that's why I joined the military."

Catherine's eyes had widened and her mouth had opened. "You aren't?"

"Is there a problem with me not being an heir?" He wondered. It was a concern as Armstrongs were a rich and big family who wouldn't prefer their daughter to be with him. "Is it a problem with your family?" She didn't answer him. "Or is it a problem with you?"

"No." Catherine jumped. "It's not a problem with me." She admitted. "I was told that you were the heir and it's quite shocking."

Virgil put his hands in his pockets. "Not really. My parents divorced, my mom took custody of me, she told me what a bastard he was and I wanted nothing to do with him." She squinted her eyes. "So, he told me that I won't get any of his money and with no choice, I had to join the military."

"At least, your military career is going great."

Virgil gulped down. He offered her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, it's going great." As soon as he had been honest, he had turned to a liar again. He linked their arms together again and they entered the park. "Now, you know that I'm nothing like Hector Schwartz."

"Your sister has all the money?" He hummed. "I remember her in school, she used to have a lot of friends." He flinched, he didn't want this date to turn to a discussion about his sister. "Are you okay?"

"I just-just don't like talking about the two of them." Virgil responded. "He was a bastard and she is his daughter."

Catherine puckered her lips. "What do you mean by that? Why does he being a bastard relate to her being his daughter?"

"Because he raised her to be like him." Virgil answered her. He thought it was obvious. "Plus, I met her. In two minutes I talked to her, she was arrogant as him."

"That doesn't mean she is him." Catherine pointed out. "She maybe is arrogant, but that doesn't mean that's the only thing about her."

He nodded. "You are right, she can be even more horrible than him."

"I don't mean that. I mean that there is probably some good in her." Virgil furrowed his eyebrows. "We are more than our parents, aren't we?"

He turned to her. "She was raised by him and she probably thinks like him. I'm sure that she couldn't stand being five minutes with me." He sighed. "Either way, I do need to talk to her because of something work-related."

"Work-related?"

"She's an alchemist." He informed her. "The military is losing a lot of them these days and they need replacement. General Raven asked me to talk to her about it." He curled his lips in a snarl.

"You don't want to?"

Virgil shrugged. "I don't have a choice, it was a direct order that I have to follow." He answered her. "Plus, she probably will say no." They took a seat on the bench. "Enough about my family, I would rather spend our time together differently."

Catherine blushed and smiled at him. "How?"

"Like this." He lifted her chin and pressed a kiss on her lips.

* * *

Beatrice stepped before the door and knocked on the door. She crossed her arms as she waited for her brother to open it. It did open, but Virgil didn't appear behind it, it was his friend.

"Joey!" She greeted him and he stared at her.

"It's Joseph." He reminded her as he frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Beatrice frowned. "Isn't it obvious?" She answered him. "I'm looking for my big brother." He put his arm on the door frame. "You know he's tall, has a few muscles, dark hair, blue eyes- what are you doing in my brother's apartment?"

"We live together. How did you know he lives here?"

She tilted her head. "Why do two adult men who are Captain and Major in the military live together?" She wondered.

"It's a long story." He told her. "You didn't answer my question."

"What question?" Beatrice pretended that she had forgotten it.

"How did you know he lives here?" He asked her again.

"Oh, it was a gut feeling." He scoffed. "Fine, I made some few calls, found someone who I could bribe to give me the information, it worked and the person told me where Virgil lives." Joseph's green eyes widened. "Look, I was desperate and I did it the Amestrian way. I used my money and I manipulated a few people."

"I haven't heard of this way." He informed her.

Beatrice huffed. "It's the Schwartz way, but since my family helped build Amestris, I called it the Amestrian way." He shook his head. "So, is Virgil here?"

"No, he has gone out." He moved to close the door. "Bye-"

Beatrice stopped the door with her foot. "I need to talk to him." She told him. "When is he coming home?"

"How would I know that?" She rolled her eyes. "Why are you even looking for him? You didn't seem so eager to see him again in the train ride."

"I did some thinking-"

"You don't do it often?" He quipped.

Beatrice smiled. "Cheeky, I like it." He snorted. "As I was saying, I did some thinking and I realized that Virgil is the only family I have." Joseph opened the door wider. "So, it only meant that I should try to know him." He didn't say anything. "If you were in my position, wouldn't you have done the same?"

He opened the door wider and stepped away from it. "You can come in." Beatrice hid her surprise and stepped into the apartment. She looked around and found it quite mundane. Everything was beige or brown. "Which one of you is colorblind?'

"We bought a furnitured apartment and we are both lazy to decorate it." Beatrice took a seat on the sofa. "I don't know how long Virgil will take, so I think you should wait for him here." He walked towards the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No." She replied to him. "Can I smoke?"

"Sure."

Beatrice got a pack of cigarettes from her bag and took one out. She grabbed her lighter and turned it on. "Did you and Virgil meet in the academy?"

"No, we've been friends since we were ten." Joseph informed her as she dragged her cigarette. "We were taken to different academies, but after the war, he was transferred in Central."

"So, you fought in the war too?" She blew out her smoke as he entered the room with a beer.

Joseph took a seat in the armchair in front of her. "Yes." He breathed out. "We were both cadets at the time."

"You work in Intelligence with Hughes, huh?" She questioned him. "You must be smart."

"I am." He admitted.

Beatrice chuckled. "Aren't you modest?"

"Just honest. I think you are more modest than me."

"Yes. When you look at the word 'modest', you'll find my picture next to it." He laughed at what she said and Beatrice snorted as well. "Tell me something about Virgil. I want to know him before I talk to him."

Joseph shook his head. "I think it's up to Virgil to talk to himself." He told her and she sighed. "You did seem to know a lot about him when you met."

"I read the newspapers and they talked about what happened in the western borders for weeks." She stopped as she smoke more of her cigarette. "The press has always loved writing about our family and I'm glad that they found the new subject."

"It does rise their sells, doesn't it? Talking about one of the oldest and the wealthiest families of Amestris? You can't blame them for wanting money." Joseph stated and she scowled.

"Oh, I can." She muttered. He frowned and she was sure that he was going to ask her something. That was why she changed the subject. "Where is he? With work?"

Joseph shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't tell me."

Beatrice licked her lips. She had a feeling that he was lying. "How is your research on alchemy going?"

"Great which is normal for me." He lifted his chin. "Especially when it comes to alchemy. It comes to me as if it's my one true calling as ballet did."

"Ballet? You were a ballerina?"

"One of the best." Beatrice smiled in triumph. "I was quite good at this and did some performances, but after I turned fifteen, it didn't bring me joy anymore."

"You dropped it because you didn't find joy in it?" He questioned her. "I wouldn't have thought you as a quitter."

Beatrice's jaw twitched. 'I'm not a quitter, I just get bored fast."

"Are you bored right now?"

She laughed. "How about I let you find out?"

"I already know that you aren't." She frowned at him. "I study body language and I can tell you aren't."

"How do you know I'm not faking it?"

"Because I know."

"You are so good at it?"

Joseph hummed. "It's my calling just like alchemy is yours."

* * *

"Major Virgil Schwartz." The guard read his identification card. "Can I ask you why do you want to talk to his prisoner?"

"I'm on the investigation concerning Scar." He answered the guard. "I think this person might know something about him."

"You should know that he's dangerous. He says a lot of disturbing things, sir."

Virgil cleared his throat. "I'm aware." The guard opened the door and Virgil entered the prison cells.

He could hear them curse, cry, beg or insult him, but he ignored them all as he made his way to the cell he wanted to go. He had wanted to see this person since his talk with Marcoh, he was going to get his answers from him.

The guard who stood in front of the cell saluted him. "I need to talk to the prisoner."

"Do you have permission?"

Virgil raised an eyebrow. "I'm a Major now." He answered him. "I have plenty of permission." the man went to search for the keys and Virgil could feel eyes looking at him from the hole in the door. The guard opened the door. "I don't want you here, go somewhere else."

The man nodded his head and Virgil entered the cell. He closed the door and turned to face his old superior officer.

"Major Virgil Schwartz." Kimblee commented. "It suits you."

Virgil moved to the wall and crossed his arms. "I have a few questions for you."

"I'll answer everything to be entertained." He responded. "It can get extremely boring here."

Kimblee's hair was all down and they seemed in proper need of a shower. He had gotten skinnier than usual and his face was quite gaunt.

"I've been seeing a lot of alchemy these days." Virgil began to say. "I have noticed when people use alchemy, a blue light comes when they use it. Now, why did a red light come when you used it?" He studied the tattoos in the prisoner's hands.

"I think you already know, Virgil." Kimblee answered him. "I'm surprised that it took you a long time to come to me and ask for questions." He snickered. "Oh, I forgot that you aren't the brightest bulb."

Virgil stared at the man. "What do I already know, Kimblee? Tell me."

"I have no reason to tell you."

"I'm a military officer." Virgil reminded him. "I'm a Major now, you ought to answer me."

"This isn't an interrogation or a trial, is it?" Kimblee looked around. "It seems that I'm right, so I don't have to answer that question."

"You said you'll answer everything." Virgil pointed to him. "Why aren't you answering me, Kimblee? Are you afraid of someone?"

He began to laugh out loud. Loud enough for the whole prison to hear. "Me? Afraid of someone? Never."

"Then why?"

"Because I don't want to." Kimblee told him. "I always loved playing games and I haven't played one in a long time."

Virgil stared at him as he gripped his jacket. No one could get under his skin like Kimblee. "I remember your games. They were quite disturbing."

"To some people, yes. To me, it was quite entertaining." Kimblee let out a dry laugh. "I can assure you that nothing makes people's blood flow like my games. You remember them right?"

Virgil clenched his jaw and tried his best not to wince. "Who could forget?" He muttered. "So, you aren't going to answer my questions?"

"Depends on the question." Kimblee responded. "Although, if it's about my alchemy, I think it will be pointless for you to ask. Only an alchemist could understand another alchemist."

He was sure that no sane person could understand Kimblee.

"You'd be surprised." Virgil mumbled. "Seems like my visit was pointless."

"Not to me." The alchemist added. "It was quite interesting. Come back when you can ask the right questions."

Virgil arched his eyebrow. "You don't think I'm asking them?"

"You aren't because you still have a lot to learn, Virgil." Kimblee informed him. "You won't recover so easily after you have discovered the truth inside the truth."

He paused as he remembered that Doctor Marcoh had said the same thing to Edward. There was a bigger picture than Virgil thought.

"Come and visit me." He added. "Maybe one day you will hit the nail. If you do, I'll tell you everything you know."

"Everything you know?" Virgil hummed. "Not even know you know everything."

Kimblee stayed silent and chuckled. "You are making assumptions."

Virgil shook his head as he walked to the door. "No, I don't think I am." He knocked on it. "I'll see you, Kimblee."

* * *

_**Sorry for the late update. I was really busy during these past few days and couldn't post a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy this one.**_

_**ShadowHeart175:**_ Beatrice is quite a mystery right now and we will learn more about her as the story progresses. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and do the same with what's coming soon.

_**Next up, An Alchemist's Tale**_


	16. An Alchemist's Tale

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS.**_

* * *

Virgil shook his head as he slammed the bowl of soup on the counter. A bit of it fell on it, but he ignored it. "I tell you to ignore her and you do the opposite." He snapped at his best friend. "Why did you invite her to our apartment?"

"I didn't invite her." Joseph stated. "She knocked on the door and then I told her to get in." Virgil narrowed his eyes at him. "Why are you making it such a big deal?" He wondered. "She's your sister, not a bomb."

"I just didn't want her in my home." He pointed out. "I don't want her to show up here and expect me to be on good terms with her."

Joseph frowned. "Virgil, what did she do to you?" He scoffed. "No. What did your sister who was one year old the last time you saw her, do to you?"

"Did you see her in East City? She was insufferable, pretentious and arrogant." He reminded his best friend. "I can't handle her for more than five minutes."

"She is arrogant, she was insufferable in East City at times, but she isn't pretentious." Virgil scoffed. "I can tell you that because I spoke to her for more than two minutes." He let out another scoff. "She's not that bad."

Virgil bit his lip as he remembered what General Raven said to him. They needed State Alchemist and Beatrice was an alchemist. He couldn't disappoint his superior officer, he needed to recruit his sister.

"The military needs more alchemist." He murmured under his breath.

"What?" Joseph asked, his eyebrows rising to his hairline. "What are you talking about?"

Virgil nodded. "Raven told me that the military needs more State Alchemists and I just happen to know one. Well, related to one."

"Your sister isn't interested in working with the military." Joseph reminded him. "She made that clear when she talked to Colonel Mustang."

"Maybe Mustang didn't know how to approach her." Virgil suggested to his friend. "I'm her brother, she'll listen to me. Plus, there are a lot of benefits to becoming an alchemist."

"She already has those benefits." Joseph told him. "I drove her to the mansion and it was almost as big as the Armstrong one. She doesn't need the benefits of money or fame."

Virgil sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Maybe I can convince her somehow." He breathed out. "You talked to her and knowing you, you have a lot of information about her."

"She used to ballet." Virgil coughed and shook his head. He didn't expect his raspy-voiced sister who was an alchemist, to be a ballerina. "She was quite good at it but lost interest. She is diving deeper in the study of alchemy and she did come here for that reason." Joseph explained. "She didn't mention friends or any boyfriend-"

"Figures." Virgil muttered. "Who can stand being around her for more than five minutes?"

Joseph snorted. "I did." He pointed out. "We waited for you for almost one hour before I drove her to the mansion. Where were you? I knew you weren't staying late with Catherine."

Virgil gulped down and looked at his shoes. "She held me up a bit more than I expected." He answered the man in front of him. "Either way, what else did you find out about her?"

"She gets bored fast which can also explain the lack of friends and boyfriend." Joseph answered. "She's smart for her age and she did travel around Amestris these past few years."

"Why?" Virgil wondered.

"She didn't make any mentions of why." Joseph replied. "She also wanted to talk to you and get to know you more."

Virgil's jaw twitched and he pressed his lips together. "She's up to something." He mumbled. "She wants something from me."

"It could be that." Joseph shrugged. "But, it could be that she only wants to know you better. You're her only family."

"No, no, that's not it." He put his hand underneath his chin. "She seems like she has something under her sleeve. Knowing who her dad is, she does."

His friend groaned as he walked to the sink. "Why do you have to mention Hector?" Virgil turned to look at him and furrowed his eyebrows. "Your hate for him is stopping you from bonding with your sister."

"I have every reason to hate him."

"You do." Joseph agreed.

"And she was raised by him." Virgil continued to say. "She acts like a mini Hector."

"Would it hurt you to give her a chance?" He didn't answer the question but turned his eyes to the bowl. "Give her the benefit of the doubt."

Virgil scoffed. "I'm going to talk to her, I can promise you that. I'm going to try recruiting her for State Alchemist and see what she is up to." He met Joseph's green eyes. "I'm sure that she is up to something and I'm going to prove it."

"How sure are you?"

"More sure than I was in seventh grade when I said, Loraine Bloke liked me."

Joseph whistled. "Damn, she liked you a lot." Virgil nodded. "You can be wrong about this, you know that?"

"I have a feeling that I'm not." Virgil murmured. "There is something about Beatrice Ann Schwartz that makes me suspicious about her." He tilted his head and scrunched up his nose. "She is hiding something."

"Hiding what?"

"That I have to find out."

"Do you know that there is a chance that she isn't hiding something and you're all making this up in your head?"

He shushed his best friend. "I'm thinking. Let me think."

* * *

Joseph tapped his foot as the meeting continued. He was sitting next to Hughes who was leading this meeting. "Scar is being dealt with by Colonel Mustang."

"Mustang?" Major Patton scoffed. "Is he capable enough to do this?"

He raised an eyebrow at the tone of the man's voice and he could see Hughes shifting next to him. "Fuhrer Bradley thought it was better for Colonel Mustang to be on it." Hughes said, his voice stern. "Are you questioning his orders?"

Patton's shoulders hunched. "No, I just don't think that Mustang is a reliable officer." Joseph tried his best not to scoff. Had Major Patton even met the man? "People say that he has people in the military and that's why he is a Colonel at such a young age. The military doesn't trust someone like him."

"If the Fuhrer, the leader of the military, trusts Colonel Mustang, who are you to question him?" Hughes inquired and the other man turned a deep shade of red. Joseph had to hold out a smile and covered his mouth with his hands. "Any news from the Southern borders?"

"The attacks are still happening and we have lost a few soldiers this week." Joseph sighed at the answer of Captain Foster. The situations in the southern and western borders were becoming worse day by day. "Although, Aurego has lost more soldiers."

He looked around and saw the other men smiling. He took a deep breath and looked down at his blue uniform.

"It's still nowhere to be finished it." He continued to say.

"Maybe we should send Virgil Schwartz," Joseph's eyes flashed his eyes to Major Patton. "The man is useful when it comes to these things."

The other men laughed while Joseph only studied them. He would give up each man (except Hughes) in this room if it meant that he would be General. They were all good at their jobs, but that was all they were. Nothing else about them mattered.

"Pushing that idea down," Joseph spoke up and everyone turned to look at him. "How about we send a few officers in Aurego to gather information?"

Hughes turned to him with a raised eyebrow while the others frowned at him. "What do you mean?" Hughes asked him.

"We send a few of our intelligent agents to Aurego, so we could gather information on them whether it's about the borders' attacks or anything related to the country." He explained to them. "We all know that it's not that easy to pass the border if you find the perfect place."

Patton snorted. "What are these agents supposed to do?"

"Gather information." Joseph repeated. "We have been trained about this during our academy years and even after we finished it by the office." He looked at the man in his eyes. "I know that I could gather information if I would be sent."

The other men laughed and he frowned. "We all know your talent of putting your nose in other people's business." Captain Ford remarked. "We just don't know if your idea is good or if you are the perfect fit."

Joseph squinted his eyes. "I like to say that I'm quite good at my job."

"But Aurego is a principality and they might not warm up to street rats with a criminal record." Joseph flinched in his seat as he kept his eyes on Patton. "I know I wouldn't talk to someone like you."

He breathed out through his nose, but he didn't say anything. It wasn't like he could say something against a superior officer. He needed to keep his head down and just forget about it. It was his duty.

"You are nothing, boy. You always were, you aren't and you always will be."

A voice in his head spoke and he ignored it. He continued to listen to the meeting, but he didn't speak. He kept his mouth shut and waited until it was over.

When it was finished, he moved to leave as soon as he could. "Stay." Hughes murmured under his breath to him and Joseph knew he had no choice, but to stay. Everyone left and he felt the eyes of Patton and Foster on him. He wanted to spit on them, but he couldn't. There was nothing he hated more than the military's rules and laws.

"It wasn't a bad idea." Hughes stated after everyone had left, including the scribe. "You didn't have a good audience."

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Joseph asked and Hughes nodded. "My audience was a bunch of assholes who think they are better than everyone."

"I do agree." Hughes murmured. "He did step a line."

"By calling me a street rat? When he did that he went far away from the line, so far that the line was invisible." He shook his head. "I don't know why I bother, they're always going to think of me like that."

"You were a boy raised in the streets, weren't you?"

"Technically, I was an orphan, but we were all raised in the streets, weren't we?" Joseph gathered his things. "This state couldn't care less about orphans."

Hughes clicked his tongue. "I wasn't talking about that, I was talking about that you were a criminal before you turned eighteen. You stole things, you vandalized the property of the state and you did stab an older citizen when you were young."

Joseph bit his lip as he waited for the man to continue.

"Putting that aside, you are a good Captain, great at gathering evidence and most importantly, Elicia likes you a lot." Joseph tilted his head. He didn't understand why he mentioned his daughter in this as she had no relation to this conversation. "But they will never forget where you come from and what have you done in the past."

"I come from nowhere." Joseph reminded him. "Remember? There have been no Hummels before me." He bit on the inside of his cheek. "So, did you like the idea?" He wondered.

"You should learn how to change the subject more subtly." Hughes advised him and Joseph snorted. "I did like it, but I think the military has more preoccupies for that to be thought over and crossing the border is hard right now."

He nodded his head. "I understand that."

"If you keep working hard and showing your talent, they will respect you."

Joseph sighed. They better start respecting him sooner because he wasn't going to waste his time but work hard. Not for their respect, for promotions, promotions enough to become a General. When he became one, he would see the respect from them, he was sure of that.

* * *

Flipping through the pages, Beatrice stopped on a page and read it. After she did, she brought a notebook closer to herself and started to write on it. She bit her lip as she focused on the pages and turned her attention to her hands.

She had drawn the transmutation circles on her palms again. It was an upright triangle with a horizontal bar. It connected the qualities of wet and hot to it. When it was raining, snowing, windy or it was a hot day, Beatrice's skill was at its best. She had learned a lot on how to control the air, how to use it and even how to attack with it. It had been a slow process and she had a lot to learn, but she was improving. She was getting better.

Beatrice had already mastered the basics of alchemy, it was just mastering the element of air that was left in her hands. It was quite literal, wasn't it?

The doorbell of the mansion rang making her look up from her notes. She frowned as she wasn't expecting anyone. She wondered who it could be as she got up.

When she looked through the peephole, she was taken back. She would have never expected her brother to be behind the door. She was sure that he loathed her.

"Hi?" She opened the door as she looked at him. A shiver ran down her spine. Virgil looked so much like him and it was hard for her to get past it.

"Hello." He raised his chin and kept his body straight. She had to hold herself from rolling her eyes. Why was he acting as if she was a military official? "Joseph informed that you asked to talk to me."

Beatrice nodded. "Yes, yes, I did." She answered him. "Joey seems to be a man of his word."

"Joey?" Virgil questioned her, his eyebrows creased.

"That's what I'm going to call him from now on." She told him. "He hates it, but I like it, so I don't care."

"Of course, you don't." He scoffed.

Beatrice pressed her lips together. "So, you came to talk to me?" He hummed. "How about you lose the attitude and we can talk like normal people?"

Virgil blinked. "What attitude?"

"The one you have." She pointed to him. "You always act like you are better than me and we both know that it's not true."

"Oh, God!" Virgil groaned. "I knew this would end up like this. Can you go one minute without complimenting yourself?"

She shrugged. "Can you go one minute without acting like you are all high and mighty?" She snapped at him.

"I don't act like that."

Beatrice eyed him. "You should check your attitude." She retorted. "What are you even doing here? Attack me?"

"You are so annoying." He spat.

"Goodbye, Virgil." Beatrice was about to close the door, but he put his foot on the threshold.

"Let's start over, okay?" He raised his hands in the air. "I promise that I have come in peace."

Beatrice narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't want to be close to her brother, he wasn't interesting and he was another military servant.

When she remembered the words, she knew she had to do it. She had to do right by him, she had promised that.

"Alright." Beatrice breathed out. She knew that she would regret this, she had a feeling in her gut. "So, are you coming in?"

"No." He was quick to respond. "I thought it would be better for us to go in the city."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Fine by me." She opened the door wider. "Come in, I need to get ready."

Virgil hesitated. He stared at his foot and his eyes went behind her. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Are you going to come in or are you going to stay outside?" Beatrice leaned against the doorway.

"I'm coming in." It took a long time for him to answer that question, she noted. She let him inside and he looked around, inspecting each furniture in the corridor. "I'm going upstairs."

It didn't take long for her to get ready. When she was descending the stairs, she saw him look at a portrait. A portrait of her father and her when she was ten. She gulped down as she came to her last steps. "Are you ready?"

Virgil turned his head to her. "Yes." He murmured. She could see him eye the portrait. "Rich people in Amestris love portraits, don't they?"

Beatrice snorted as she walked towards the door. "Because they are expensive and it features them." She opened the door and he followed her. The two of them got outside and she locked the door. "It strokes their ego."

"How nice of you not to include yourself in that group." Virgil murmured.

"I don't need an expensive portrait to stroke my ego." She responded to him and they walked to his car. As they did, she noticed something strange about it. "Wait, this is the same car as Joseph's."

Virgil opened the door of the car. "Yes, it's the same. We share a car."

Beatrice gasped as she thought she connected the dots. "Are you together?" She had heard about men being men and women being with women, but she had never met them in real life.

"What?!" Virgil exclaimed as he sat down together.

"Are you and Joseph a couple?" She clarified for him and he frowned at her. "Look, I don't judge you, especially since he is handsome."

"What? No!" He raised his voice. "Why do you think that?"

Beatrice shrugged. "Because you live together and share a car?"

Virgil turned on his car and scrunched up his nose. "I don't know why you would think of that…" He trailed off. "Oh, I get it now." He rolled his eyes. "We aren't together, we're just friends who are too lazy to have personal and separate apartments and cars."

"Woah." She mused. "That's sad."

* * *

Virgil found himself laughing at her jokes. His sister had a strange humor, but a funny one nonetheless. He had tried to prevent himself from laughing a few times before giving up when she commented on a woman's fur coat.

The two of them were walking down the streets of the city and he noticed how she knew them better than he did.

"So, when did you decide to study alchemy?" Virgil wondered as he glanced down at his sister. She was a few inches shorter than him, although she was still tall for a woman.

"I went to the state's library to do a project and saw an alchemy book." She started to explain to him and he nodded his head. "I decided to read it for a bit as I was always amazed by alchemists and when I did, it changed my world."

Virgil snorted. "Changed your world?"

"Yes, by introducing me to a new world." She continued to say. "It was quite an experience reading that book and I knew I wanted to know more about alchemy. So, I got more books, read them all and started to study alchemy."

"Just like that?" He questioned her.

"It might sound strange to you, but you need to see it like I see it." Beatrice cleared her throat. "It was like I finally found my calling, what I was meant to do. It was as if the universe directed me to alchemy because it knew I would love it." Her blue eyes twinkled as she spoke. "Have you never felt like you were made to do something?"

Virgil's face fell. He did think that he was meant to do something and that was killing. He was so good that he had heard people call it his calling. Maybe killing him was like alchemy to her. "No, I don't think so."

She stopped for a moment before continuing to talk. "I knew I had to study this and I gave it all. I quit ballet and focused on alchemy."

"Weren't you afraid that you'll fail?" He wondered.

"No." She answered him. "Failure and I don't go together."

Virgil closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He should have expected her to say that. "Of course."

"It took me a long time for me to get the ropes of it as it's very complicated." Beatrice admitted. "But I did. By the time I was thirteen, I was transmuting objects."

"You use air a lot in your alchemy." He spoke up. "Why did you pick that?"

Beatrice shoved her hands in her pockets. "It's just everywhere we go. It's what gives us life and what we can't live without. It's a part of us that we can never be without and it's constant in our lives. It's always there for you."

"Is it hard trying to master it?"

"Yes." She admitted. "Especially since I don't have a master and there are many ways how to use it. I'm trying to break them up piece by piece."

"You use a bo staff, right?"

She shook her head. "No. I just picked up that day because I thought it looked cool." He hummed. He had thought it looked cool.

There was a silence between them for a couple of minutes before Beatrice spoke again.

"How about you?" Beatrice nudged him. "How did you know you were perfect for the military?"

"I didn't have another choice." She frowned at him. "Your father cut me off."

Beatrice's blue eyes flashed and her shoulders hunched. She turned her head and made a turn. His eyes widened when he noticed where they were going, his sister was taking them on the street where the prison was. "You still had the house. Why didn't you sell that?"

"Huh?" Virgil was sure that his ears deceived him.

"The house in South City? The one you lived most of your life in?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "What about it?"

"It's yours." She informed him. "My dad gave it to your mom when they divorced. As you are her son, it's yours."

Virgil blinked a few times and stared at her. It was as if someone had played a sick joke on him. He had joined the military because of the lack of money he had and he was learning that his house was owned by him.

"How come you didn't know that?"

He stopped in his tracks before they reached the prison. "Shouldn't have Hector told me that?"

"It wasn't his job to tell you." Beatrice stated. "The property didn't belong to him, it belonged to your mom." She let out a scoff after that.

"What are you trying to say?" Virgil found himself snapping at her. The way she was talking about his mother, it was riling him up. "You have no idea what happened."

Beatrice shook her head and crossed her arms. "I sure as have more idea than you have. I know that our dad gave your mother the ownership of the house and money every month to raise you. He stopped giving you money when you were eighteen-"

"Because I hurt his pride." He cut her off. "Do you know that?"

"Yes, I do." She answered and he took a step back. "Dad told me about it when he came here, but you didn't just hurt his pride."

Virgil scoffed. He wasn't going to hear her defend their father. He had been the worst parent someone could ask for. "Are you going to defend him?"

"Why are you getting so angry so fast?" She questioned him. "It's concerning how angry you can get."

"Not as concerning as your arrogance." Virgil spat at her.

Beatrice let out a dry laugh. "It's impossible to talk to you, isn't it? How can Joseph stand living with you?"

"How can anyone stand you for more than five minutes?"

"For your information, I'm quite fun to be around." Virgil scoffed. "I have never met a more judgemental person than you." She told him and he rolled his eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me!" She raised her voice at him. "It's true, Virgil. How do I know that? Because since the moment we met, you see me as nothing but Hector Schwartz's daughter."

"Because you are." He scowled. "It's like he made a personality clone of himself."

Beatrice raised her hands. "How do you know that? You have talked to me twice and you don't even know our father. You know him as good as the newspapers do."

"I have heard a lot about him from my mum."

She smiled at him, a cocky smile that he hated with all of his soul. "Yes, you have heard a lot about him from his bitter ex-wife."

"Watch your damn mouth." He snarled. "You shouldn't disrespect her like that, especially since she's dead now." It still made his body shiver admitting his mother was gone.

"So is he." She muttered. "Or do you think he's living inside my body?"

Virgil was about to answer when he heard two shots. The two of them stopped and turned their heads to the direction of the shots. His heart skipped when he realized it was near the prison.

His mind went to Kimblee and his whole body shuddered. He raised his hand to stop her. "Stay here. It might be dangerous."

"I'm an alchemist." Beatrice reminded him. "I can handle myself." The two of them ran to the direction. He heard screams coming from the prison and he headed towards it. His sister was following him.

"What's going on?" He asked the guard positioned in the entrance. "Where did those shots come from?"

"Not here, sir." Virgil answered him. "The building next to us."

Beatrice took a few steps towards it and at that moment, the ground began to shake. "What the hell?" She muttered under her breath. As the ground continued to shake, they could hear things falling from the next building. "What the hell is happening?" She glanced at him.

"The building… The building is falling." He answered her. The ground continued to shake and the building's roof had already been destroyed. He turned to the guard down. "What building is that?"

"The fifth laboratory, sir." Virgil frowned as it was the first time he had heard of the fifth laboratory. He had thought there had only been four.

Beatrice whistled. "Come on!" She called for him. "Someone is probably there." She began to run.

Virgil followed her with many questions swirling in his head.

* * *

_**ShadowHeart175:**_ I'm so happy to hear that you enjoy the way I write Kimblee and you find the characterization of the characters good. Kimblee is such an interesting character and I'm really careful when I write him and try to do my best. Here is the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it.

_**Vendre: **_I'm happy to hear that you like what I'm doing with my characters. I hope you enjoy the rest.

_**Next up, Silent Book**_


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